It's too early to criticise NPP on the economy - Fifi Kwetey

A former Transport Minister in the previous Mahama administration, Fifi Kwetey has advised opponents of the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to properly analyse its policies and programmes after a year.

According to him, it was too early to judge whether economic growth was truly going to be stimulated as

envisaged by the Nana Addo-led administration.

“We hope that by the close of the year when the successes get presented, we will have a clear idea.”

Speaking at the maiden Volta Parliamentary Outreach programme held in Ho, he said the economy would see some growth this year largely hinged on the oil revenue in the country.

“If you gauge from what the Finance Minister presented in the mid-year budget review, in terms of what had happen to growth, you will notice that largely growth that had happened in the last six months had been the result of oil.”

“Let’s give the NPP government the opportunity, at least up to a year, which gives us room for one year of performance after which we will be able to say is this really going well, or this is not going well. But you know more because you are living on day-to-day basis. If the cost of living is going well for you, you are the best to know, if employment is becoming available to the youth you are in a position to know,” he pointed out.

The programme, put together by the Evangelical University College (EPUC) in Ho, the Volta Caucus in Parliament and the Lake Newspaper, was aimed at bringing the MPs closer to their constituents and briefing them on the happenings in Parliament.

Mr. Fifif Kwetey, addressing the gathering on the state of the economy of the country, also commended government for removing some taxes.

“The fact is that after six months those taxes that have been removed do not necessarily translate into revenue stream but they made an effort in that respect to remove some of those taxes.”

He, however, called on the NPP government to give credit to the NDC government for laying the foundation for growth through the exploitation of the TEN fields and Sankofa Oilfields.

“NPP clearly should at least be gracious enough to say that the growth of the economy for this year is largely due to the foundation laid down by the previous government through the TEN fields and the Sankofa.

“We also finalised everything for Sankofa and when President Akufo-Addo took over he had to commission Sankofa and all these become additional streams of oil revenue that are going to add up to the growth of our economy,” Mr. Fifi Kwetey added.

Gibril Abdul Razak HO