NPP’s 18 months is best since 2001 – Bawumia

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said that the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government’s performance in relation to the economy within its 18 months in office is the best since 2001.

Dr Bawumia said Ghana’s currency had only depreciated by seven percent against the dollar compared to other countries like Argentina, Turkey, South Africa and India, which had higher rates, adding that inflation had been on the downward trend since the NPP assumed office in January, 2017.

He said this during the opening of the fourth National Policy Summit in Tamale on Monday.

The two-day event, which brought together policy-makers amongst other decision makers and the citizenry, was to assess the Government’s performance since assuming office in January, last year.

It was on the theme: “Assessing Government’s Flagship Programmes.”

Dr Bawumia touted the country’s economic indicators, saying the impressive performance made Standard and Poor, an international rating agency, to recently upgrade the country’s ratings from B- during the previous government to B, which was one of the highest grades the country had received in 10 years ago.

He said the country’s economy was relatively stable as economic growth increased from 3.7 percent in 2016 to 8.5 percent in 2017, whiles tax on petroleum reduced from 40 per cent to 26 per cent this year.

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister-designate for Information, said the concerns of the citizenry during the summit would be considered in next year’s budget.

Kpembewura Bismark Daari, Paramount Chief of Kpembe Traditional Area, appealed to Government to come out with sustainable strategies to help tackle the issue of Bagre Dam spillage and its complications.

Source: GNA