Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has described the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as a “monumental failure.”
He emphasized that the NPP government has destroyed livelihoods and driven the economy aground.
At the launch of the NDC’s manifesto in Winneba, Dr. Forson lamented the high tax burden on businesses and individuals, noting that Ghana’s economic position has declined significantly.
He revealed that Ghana lost its status as the second-largest economy in West Africa to Côte d’Ivoire in 2022, with Ghana’s GDP standing at $72 billion compared to Côte d’Ivoire’s $75 billion.
Dr. Forson attributed this downward trend to the NPP’s mismanagement and announced that the next NDC government will introduce and implement a $10 billion “Big Push” aimed at driving economic growth and transformation.
He emphasized that this initiative would help reverse the current downward trend and restore Ghana’s economic progress.
Dr. Forson further criticized the NPP government for collapsing the cocoa sector, wasting public funds, undermining good governance, and reversing the country’s progress.
He also accused the government of implementing “crude and painful haircuts” across sectors, corrupting the moral fibre of the country, and pursuing a state capture agenda through “Agyapadie.”
He said, “As of the end of 2016, the size of Ghana’s economy was 55 billion Ghana cedis, representing the second in West Africa while that of Côte d’Ivoire was 48 billion Ghana cedis, third largest in West Africa. However, in 2022, Ghana lost its enviable position of the second economy in West Africa to Côte d’Ivoire.”
“As of the time in 2022, Ghana’s GDP was 72 billion dollars while the Ivory Coast was 75 billion dollars so since independence, for the first time, Ivory Coast overtook us in terms of the size of GDP as of the year 2022.”
“This situation is projected to worsen by the end of this year. While the Ivory Coast GDP is projected to be 89 billion dollars, Ghana’s projected GDP by the end of this year is estimated to be 75 billion dollars. In order to reverse this downward trend, the next NDC government will introduce and implement a 10-billion-dollar big push. This Big PUSH is aimed at driving the needed focus and investment for economic growth and transformation.”
“The NPP government has been a monumental failure, they have destroyed our livelihoods, and they have indeed driven our economy aground. They have collapsed Ghana’s cocoa sector; they have wasted and dissipated Ghana’s public funds. They have destroyed our good governance. They have reversed the progress of our country.”
“They have delivered crude and painful haircuts across the board. They have corrupted the moral fibre of our dear country, and of course, they have implemented the ‘Agyapadie’ state capture plan. Let me say, the time has come for us to come together to restore and reset our country.”
