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The Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr. has taken the side of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in figures the latter stated while addressing a town hall meeting held by the Economic Management Team.

Dr Bawumia had indicated that the “fiscal deficit has significantly fallen from 6.8% of rebased GDP in 2016 to an estimated 3.8% in 2018.

However, Cassiel Ato Forson, a former Deputy Finance Minister while speaking at a lecture held by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said the Vice President’s figures were wrong.

But on Joy Newsfile programme Saturday, Kweku Baako said Ato Forson, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam was being mischievous.

According to him, his checks, “vindicates what the Vice President was saying. He didn’t lie, he told the truth . . . Ato Forson’s view is that official data from the Ministry of Finance indicates clearly that overall deficit by end of year 2016 was 7.8 of GDP; it’s wrong . . . these are official figures; it cannot be challenged. Mr Ato Forson went and took a figure; a provisional outturn from the Ministry of Finance website to project his course  . . . the truth of the matter is that these figures that the Vice President gave were absolute and that’s what is there”.

According to him if it comes to the controversies surrounding the credibility of figures, “the vice president’s figures have more credibility.”