Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has rallied supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be proud of the achievements of the government because it has done a lot that could help break the eight in 2024.
According to him, the achievements of the Akufo-Addo government are unprecedented and have helped solved or tackled over 100 problems inherited from the John Mahama administration in 2017.
In view of this, Dr Bawumia who is seeking to lead the Party as flagbearer in the 2024 elections admonished members of the party to dismiss assertions that the party would have no message to convince the electorates in the next elections.
According to him, though the Party since assuming office in 2017 has achieved significant successes in its policies and projects, there is a lot more to do in the future.
International Women’s Conference of NPP in London
Addressing an International Women’s Conference of NPP in the United Kingdom he said “Let nobody tell you that we don’t have a message for 2024! I must hasten to add that this does not mean we have done everything we intended to do or ought to have done. There is clearly a lot more to do and we will work hard to do more.
Dr Bawumia noted that many of the transformational policy initiatives introduced since 2017 which resulted in the significant achievements are being done for the first time since independence and most have benefited women.
“What is interesting is that because many of them have not been done before, many people shackled by a mindset of impossibility have argued that they are not possible, but we made them possible.
“All these initiatives were pooh-pooed as impossible, but we stayed focused and made them possible.
“We are dealing politically with people with shackled mindsets who always think in terms of things being impossible to do.
“When you try to move the country forward with new ideas, they mask their ignorance by mocking you, ridiculing you and calling you a liar.
“But in the process, they only expose their lack of understanding of the issues.
“My response to them is to stay focused, not get angry but rather make it happen!
“That is the best victory you can have over the naysayers! Make what they think is impossible possible,” Dr. Bawumia said.
Impossible made possible
The Vice-President pointed out that what government has been able to accomplish so far shows that it is possible for Ghana to achieve many things that some believe to be impossible.
Dr Bawumia said Ghana’s economy was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected global supply chains and also put a burden on public finances.
According to him, just when the economy was steadily recovering the war between Russia and Ukraine hit fertiliser and grain prices, among others and increased the prices of commodities back home.
He pointed out that inflation and debt levels globally hit an all-time high as countries scrambled to cope with the impact on lives and livelihoods.
In Ghana, he stated that inflation increased from 12.9% in December 2021 to 54% by December 2022 with an attendant depreciation of the Ghana cedi by 30% in 2022.
“The combined effects of these phenomena blighted an economy that grew at an average rate of about 7% between 2017 and 2019.
“Our debt became unsustainable, and the government had to undertake a domestic debt restructuring and seek IMF support to stabilize our economy.”
Political opponents
Dr. Bawumia averred that these developments have been latched on by the NPP’s political opponents in an attempt to play down the achievements of the Akufo-Addo Government.
However, he said, the government’s record in solving problems it inherited from the NDC, in spite of the challenges, is incontrovertible and unmatched in the 4th Republic.
“With what we have done and continue doing in the wake of the global challenges, the outcome, thus far, points to an auspicious future.
“We have been able to stay afloat the stormy global economic developments and kept our lights on without any threat of dumsor.
“We have been able to ensure all year-round availability of diesel and petrol and no single Ghanaian had to queue for these essential products.
“We have never rationed food in our markets as a result of the global challenges and not a single government flagship social intervention programme has been truncated,” he stated
Some of the achievements
Dr Bawumia further noted that agriculture GDP grew by average of 6% between 2017- 2022 as compared to a paltry 2.9% between 2013-2016.
The implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme, associated with subsidies for seeds and fertilizer significantly increased yields.
“Maize production increased from 1.8 metric tonnes per hectare in 2016 to four metric tonnes per hectare. Rice production also increased from 2.7 metric tonnes per hectare to 4.5 metric tonnes per hectare and same for soybean, sorghum and vegetables.
“Notwithstanding the global economic crisis from COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, agricultural growth under our government is stronger than it was under Mahama,” he said.
He outlined some of the problem-solving policy initiatives by the NPP government touted as notable achievements are as follows:
o The GhanaCard
o The Use of the Ghanacard Number as a Tax Identification Number (TIN), SSNIT Number, National Health Insurance Number
o Digital Property Address System
o Mobile Money Interoperabilty
o Paperless Ports
o Ghana.Gov
o No Guarantor student loans with Ghanacard
o Universal QRCode Payment System
o Registration for and renewal of NHIS membership on the phone
o One Constituency One ambulance
o Agenda 111
o Digitalization of ECG operations
o Digitalized Passport Applications
o E-Pharmacy
o Zipline Drones for medical delivery
o Digitalization at the scholarship secretariat
o Unified digital common property tax platform
o Online filing and payment of taxes at the GRA
o Digitalization at the births and births registry
o Digitalization of football ticket sales
o Provision of Hydroyurea under NHIS for Sickle Cell Patients
o Zongo Development Fund
o Development Authorities
o Bank of Ghana Gold Purchase Programme
o Gold for Oil Policy
o Abolishing the filling of embarkation and disembarkation cards at the airport
o The Free SHS policy
o The Free TVET policy
o The Digital Property Address System
o Sinohydro Bauxite barter agreement
o One constituency one ambulance
o Creation 2.1 million jobs in the last six years
o Construction of the Elmina Fishing Harbour
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