Don’t do propaganda with 2022 budget – Paul Amaning tells NDC

Eastern Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman hopeful, Paul Amaning, has stated that the National Budget remains the single most effective tool to address the greatest challenges of the nation.

He stated that as a country “we cannot allow such a strategic national tool to be held hostage by partisan interests, especially when the consideration stage offers every opportunity for such redress”.

He said that the 2022 Budget has an added layer of significance for the government as it drives forward the great economic mission of our time – Building a sustainable Entrepreneurial Nation.

“The Budget seeks to address the triple helix albatross of our time, high unemployment, high debt and inadequate infrastructure even as we pursue our agenda for increased social mobility and justice for all,” Paul Amaning exclusively told Kwaku Dawuro on Anopa Nkomo on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7

He noted that with the approval of the Budget secured on 30th November 2021, we should now move on to the urgent task of working towards the passage of the appropriation bill before parliament rises on December 17th, 2021.

“We believe that the concerns raised in Parliament on the 2022 Budget should be resolved during the discussions of the Budget Estimates of MDAs, other Government obligations and Bills at the Committee level in Parliament as we have always done.

He said that on unemployment, we are faced with an urgent challenge.

“Our population has grown from 6.7 million in 1960 to 30.8 million by 2021 and has gotten increasingly youthful. In 1960, for instance, we had approximately 1.1 million Ghanaians between the ages of 15-24, and this year, that number stands at 6.3 million.

Indeed, when those under 35 are included, the number stands at close to 11 million people. The key question becomes, how do we extend opportunities to our youth in a sustainable way and eliminate the indignity of joblessness, underemployment and vulnerable jobs?” he asked.

He noted that the theme for the ‘Agyenkwa’ Budget is ‘Building a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Nation: Fiscal Consolidation and Job Creation’.

“The Budget outlines the policy direction and fiscal framework for 2022 as well as the medium-term vision of H. E. The President, in consultation with his Cabinet and fellow Ghanaians. How do we reject this President's Executive Policy? With that approach we may never have had the Free SHS policy,” he said.

Paul Amaning noted that this Budget also introduces the ground-breaking multi-year GHC 10 billion YouStart Program, a historic intervention that will involve the collaboration of our Local Financial Institutions, Development Partners and International Financial Institutions.

“It seeks to tackle comprehensively the youth unemployment issue. Like the Senior High School programme, the YouStart will have an equally momentous impact on our society- a game-changer in social mobility, decent jobs and having dignity. This programme is designed to provide relevant skills and access to long term affordable 5 capital to empower our youth to create their own businesses and expand the private sector to create more jobs for Ghanaians,” he said.