The Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency, Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor, has debunked claims by the government that the recent economic hardships are as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The lawmaker explained that it won’t be fair for the government to blame our recent conditions and economic hardships on Covid-19, stating that the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country has only confirmed the poor state of Ghana’s economy which was hidden in terms of figures.

According to Hon. Jinapor, the problem is as a result of mismanagement of state funds, as well as incessant borrowing by the current administration.

“There’s been an attempt to blame the current hardships that we find ourselves in, on Covid-19 but the issue of Covid is neither here nor there”. He intimated.

He made these remarks on the floor of Parliament during a debate on the 2021 budget and financial policy review.

This also comes after the reading of the 2021 budget statement presented before Parliament by the Caretaker Finance Minister, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu.

During the presentation, the caretaker Minister announced government’s decision to introduce new levies as a way to cushion the economy against recent hardships.

The Majority Leader blamed the shortfalls in the economy on the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, Hon. John Jinapor believes otherwise.

According to Hon. Jinapor, what we are seeing now defies logic, it defies economics and it cannot stand the test of time.

“What Covid has only done is to confirm the poor state of the Ghanaian economy which was hidden in terms of figures, because if your debt to GDP ratio is growing at a slow pace, and your GDP is growing at a higher pace and if your deficit, which then becomes the loans and the debts, are also low at around 5%, how come today we have a debt to GDP of above 76%?”. He questioned.

Source: Editor/www.newslinegh.com

 

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