NDC must go - PPDD

The Popular Party for Democracy and Development (PPDD) has called on the NDC government headed by Flt-Lt (rtd) JJ Rawlings to step down immediately and pave the way for election of a more competent government to effectively steer the affairs of the nation.

In a statement signed by the party's General Secretary, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the party blamed the government for the drastic fall of living standards among Ghanaians and the insensitive way the government had handled several very important policy issues. The party said that "in making this call, we have taken full cognisance of the fact that the standard of living of Ghanaians have been falling dramatically within the last 13 years as a result of the implementation of reckless economic policies. Perhaps the most insensitive and reckless measure implemented by the Rawlings administration is the Value Added Tax (VAT) which has worsened the already precarious plight of Ghanaians. Even Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, the Minister of Finance has publicly admitted that the implementation of VAT has resulted in price hikes of between 300 and 400 per cent".

"These policies have in the main been responsible for the very high rate of unemployment in the country, soaring inflation with its attendant cost of food and services and the reduction of the peoples access to educational and health facilities. It is clear that the VAT was implemented without any serious consideration of its harmful effects on the population and with very little concern for the need to educate the business community and the general public to understand its modalities" the statement continued.

The concluding part of the statement read: "in view of the gross irresponsibility of government in ignoring the protests of the political parties and independent mass organisations over the implementation of the Value Added Tax System, we call upon the Rawlings administration to step down immediately."