The Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has reiterated the resolve of the New Patriotic Party government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to implement policies and programmes designed to alleviate the hardships faced by the ordinary Ghanaian.
While acknowledging that the needs of all human beings are insatiable, Vice President Bawumia insists that the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has done more to mitigate the effects of any difficulties affecting Ghanaians since it assumed office 20 months ago, more than what its predecessor did in 8 years of office.
“Although as humans, we will continuously have needs, and thus keep expressing concerns of greater desires and pains, what is refreshing is that today, Teacher Trainees are receiving their allowances. Nursing trainees are receiving their allowances. BECE candidates have their registration fees paid for them. We have doubled the Capitation Grant; 100,000 unemployed graduates are now under NABCO.
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“Dumsor (rolling black outs) is not killing people’s businesses. Electricity tariffs have been reduced for us. About 17 or so taxes have either been reduced or abolished. There is no freeze on public sector employment. We have fertiliser subsidies under Planting for Food and Jobs.
“These are things that did not exist before we came into government, and if we had not addressed them, they were going to compound the hardships on all Ghanaians.
“While doing all these we equally acknowledge the fact that we have not solved all of Ghana’s problems. Significant amount of challenges still abound that ought to be tackled with speed. But the good thing is that, with what we have done we are confident that by the Grace of God we will surely get there.
“So we have done tangible things to reduce the hardships on Ghanaians. We can point to them. Today the NDC is going around saying that there are hardships. So what we want to ask them, and I want to challenge them, a simple challenge: tell us what you have done in your last 8 years of government. Tell us the social interventions you brought in to reduce the hardships of Ghanaians.”
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The Vice President, who was giving brief remarks at the 2018 joint Annual Dinner and Dance of the United Kingdom branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Young Executives Forum (YEF) on Saturday 20th October, 2018, said the NPP, under President Nana Akufo-Addo, has a record to be proud of, and urged Ghanaians to do a dispassionate analysis of any interventions introduced by the immediate past government, which had 8 years, and that of the currently 20 month-old government.
“It is a simple challenge. Tell us the social interventions that the NDC brought to reduce the hardships on Ghanaians. If you ask me, I will tell you what Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has done in 20 months. I will tell you about Free SHS, I will tell you about teacher training allowances, I will tell you about nursing training allowances, I will tell you about Capitation Grant. I will tell you about reductions in electricity prices. I will tell you about NABCO that will provide a hundred thousand jobs to graduates, I will talk to you about reductions in taxes.
“If you ask me, I will tell you we have increased the portion of the District Assembly Common Fund for Persons with Disabilities from 2% to 3%, we have expanded the School Feeding Programme from 1.6 million to 2.1 million, we have expanded LEAP to cover an additional 150,000 people, and we are paying the BECE examination registration for students”.
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“This is some of what we have done in 20 months. Please tell us, what social interventions did you (NDC) introduce in 8 years to reduce the hardships on Ghanaians? It’s a simple challenge. They may take a long time to answer, but we’re waiting. We have time.”
The Vice President assured that government was well on course in its determination to implement policies and programmes designed to formalise and modernise the Ghanaian economy, adding, “There are exciting times ahead for Ghana.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my assurance to you and all Ghanaians, is that your economy is in safe hands and there’s more to come under the visionary leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Let’s work together as a country to make it happen.”