Audio Attachment:Listen to former Deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson on kokrokoo |
The National Democratic Congress has accused the ruling government of spreading falsehood with claims that the economy is in a bad state.
The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, in his first state of the Nation Address in Parliament Tuesday, indicated that he inherited a bad economy from the Mahama-led administration.
“Total projected expenditure for 2016 was GH¢43.9 billion (26% of GDP) but actual expenditure amounted to GH¢50.3 billion (30.2% of GDP). It appears, from what we are finding out, that some GH¢7 bn of arrears and outstanding payments circumvented public financial management system. The country’s debt, he said stands at 74% of GDP . . . As at the beginning of 2009, Ghana’s total debt stock was GH¢9.5 billion. By the end of 2016, the debt had ballooned to GH¢122 billion. Ghana’s debt stock now stands at 74% of GDP . . . In fact, 92% of Ghana’s total debt stock was incurred in the last eight years under the previous government,” the President said.
Speaking in an interview to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, former Deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson posited that it is untrue that the NDC left a bad economy.
“ . . the economy that the NDC left for the NPP was a strong economy,” he noted.
The former deputy Minister also wondered why President Akufo-Addo did not talk about inflation and rather concentrated on other aspects of the economy.
“Maybe he has foreseen that he will not be able to fulfill all his promises that is why he is making these excuses. He didn’t talk about inflation which as at January was 13.3%. My worry is that during the campaign inflation was heavy on their agenda but now they don’t want to talk about it; because it’s good for the economy, they’ve decided to keep quiet on it. I was really surprised when he said 122bn . . . and that 92 percent of the debt was created by the NDC government. I challenge them that the numbers cannot be the case. I am suggesting that the economy that the NDC left for the NPP was a strong economy . . . numbers don’t lie. At least he should have given former President John Mahama some credit,” he added.
Click the audio to listen to the full interview.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
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I can see this Ato Forson guy loosing his MP seat in the next election.... These NDC people are not truthful and are also corrupt.
IS THIS NOT ATO FORSON WHO DUPED A LOT OF GHANAINS WHILST WORKING IN LONDON.? DID MAHAMA NOT GIVE YOU THE POSITION OF DEPUTY MINISTER BECAUSE YOU ARE A ***barred word***, AND THAT YOU WILL STEAL FOR HIM. ?
What is wrong with this man? He should give him credit for allowing u people to create loot and share or credability for him building an interchange that someone at sefwi asawinso has never been to accra and wont know how it looks. You better give us your figures or stay mute forever
We expect Ato Forson to give us what he feels is the true state of the nation. You should be ashamed of yourself and keep quiet. You describe this economy as a sound foundation? If you borrow money to pay debt you describe this as sound foundation.
HI ALL THIS ATO FORSON GUY DUPED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHILST WORKING AS A WATCHMAN IN LONDON AND THEN FLED TO GHANA HE IS A WANTED MAN
Massa; this Ato Forson guy sometimes baffles me !!!!!!an accountant with no relevant experience in economic management ; how on earth do you make ministers out of such species and expect such an educated illiterate and a non intelligent NDC 'RAT' to comment that ; Nana Addo 'lie'and that Nana Addo should give Jon Mahama credit ;what this uneducated full should understand is that you give credit to people when objectively one has done some thing to contribute to ones enhancement ; in other words Ato Forson is saying that Jon Mahama should should be given praise for this economic mirage foundation and mis-management which Ato forson hopes will yield dividends in the future according to his thoughts ; what he forgets is that ; in the sphere of economic forcast borrowing to finance irrelevant and no strategic projects means that any turburlence in the economic variables over time will affect growth because the evidence of instability in certain economic variables are there ; Ato Forson does not understand his economic model and believes that borrowing is the only way to create growth-NPO ; that is the IMF or the World Bank economic model which is false ; what economic creativity in terms of industries or turn raw materiels into value added goods in the econnomy including agrculture; did Ato Forson and his team create any wealth -NO ; all their economic model was based on extractive industries including oil which has a voltile dispensation on the markets ; the econonmy was based on imports financed by the availability of dollars ; the falsehood of such economy was that it attracted traders from Togo ;Ivory Coast ; Burkina to use their strong currency to buy goods cheaply from Ghana ; the truth was that the economy seemed to disply growth but a false growth; Ghana was financing the trade activities of these counteries ; the deficit was huge at GHC122 billion financed by our unrefined exports and grants from overseas donnors and because of the huge borrowing idustries was been stifled with poor unemployment prospects for the youth ; the question was Jon Mahama aware of all these problems and was ato Forson aware pf all this anomalies in the economy ; so why on earth should Nana Addo praise Jon Mahama ; if you built an over head at the cirle what has that got to do with a poor villager in Bimbilla ; who cannot get water to spray his crops; ATO FORSON THINK !!!!!!; where did you get that money to build that hotel ; do you also deserve some credit for stilling monies and building a hotel .
Ato, do you owe allegiance to Mahama or Ghana? I can see that you want people to whitewash Mahama to get your satisfaction. It won't happen. You were at the Ministry of Finance as a deputy minister. You never gave us any figures on the economy to buttress your arguments throughout your stay. You were afraid to give facts and figures. You are condemning somebody who is bold enough to give the facts and figures on the economy to explain his points. Here you are with a nice opportunity to also provide your facts and figures to counter him. You prefer to make general statements on the economy like a street hwaker talking about the economy. Please, be bod, realistic and factual in your arguments for people to take you serious. I wonder how you got to that ministry in the first lace. Or, a square peg in a round hole?
Did he categorically say Mahama has failed or did nothing? He just presented what we look like today as a nation. I do not blame you at all.
So, big man, if the president is lying, then give us your figures....and stop calling the president a liar. So you see, that is why NDC will be in opposition for a very long time. Still lying..... and amazingly, they have the guts to talk some....
who is this id---i--o-t?