Former Vice President and NPP Presidential Candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, says economic stability means nothing if it does not put money in the pockets of ordinary Ghanaians.
Speaking at the NPP’s National Thanksgiving Service at the Church of Pentecost in Sunyani this morning, Dr Bawumia said the stability being touted by the NDC government is meaningless to the suffering Ghanaian.
According to him, Ghana is currently experiencing two different economies.
“Our economy is a tale of two economies. One is a paper economy – they say inflation is down and exchange rate is down. The second economy is the pocket economy. The high cost of living and your sufferings. That is more important to the people of Ghana,” he said.
“The stability of the economy is meaningless if it cannot be linked up to the liberation of the suffering of our people. If you claim you have stabilised the economy, and it is not reflecting on the lives of the people, it is meaningless. Stability by itself is meaningless unless it is linked up to the total liberation of the pockets of Ghanaians,” Dr. Bawumia stressed.
He argued that the purpose of bringing inflation and the dollar down is to make life easier, not harder.
“The reason we all want inflation and dollar to go down is because we want it to have a positive impact and make life and cost of living easier and lower for the people. But if inflation and dollar go down and the people are suffering, is that how we want it? That’s not how we want it.”
“You cannot have a stable economy with people suffering. The stability should be a way of improving the lives of the people,” he added.
Dr Bawumia said the reality on the ground contradicts the government’s claims, as traders are complaining of low sales, while electricity bills, water bills, petrol prices and transport fares have all increased.
He questioned whether cocoa farmers were promised GH¢6,000 per bag, cashew farmers were told to expand their farms, and whether soybean, rice, and maize farmers, as well as teachers, nurses, doctors, and traders, have felt any benefit from the so-called stability.
“Things are really hard for the people,” he stated.
He also slammed the government for deceiving Ghanaians, adding that several promises the government has failed to fulfil are being exposed through old video clips on the internet