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2021 Budget was not bold, failed to use Covid-19 to transform Ghana- Joe Jackson

By Justice Kofi Bimpeh
Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson
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The Director of Strategy and Business Operations at Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson says the 2021 Budget has failed to take advantage of Covid-19 to transform Ghana.

He explained that the budget statement is not bold to address the various concerns of the economy.

Speaking on TV3, Joe Jackson noted that we are as broke as we were before the pandemic.

"We are as broke as we are before Covid-19, nothing has changed for me it is not the specifics it is the opportunity to take bold decisions."

Sharing his views on the budget read yesterday in parliament he said it's a lost opportunity to be bold on the part of the government.

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Full text: 2021 Budget Statement presented by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

"...what a lost opportunity to be bold, to be courageous and seized the Covid-19 situation and use it to start to make the seeds of the transformation of this economy. The numbers in this budget are bad as any of the numbers we had and I'm not talking about last year, I'm talking about the numbers in this budget for this year. We estimated that revenue is going to be 72.45 billion, interest payment 35 billion... compensation-36 billion (50%) adding to 99% what has changed?"

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu with additional responsibilities as an interim Minister for Finance has announced 8 additional initiatives to drive economic recovery in Ghana.

During his presentation of the 2021 budget statement in parliament on March 12, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said these initiatives will help the Ghanaian economy to recover quickly from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"In addition to continuing our priority programmes, we will implement additional initiatives to drive recovery these include;

1. Scale amends to enable us to attain herd immunity in Ghana by the end of 2021

2. Continue the implementation of Agenda 111 to provide hospitals and related infrastructure nationwide to improve the delivery of healthcare

3. Intensify efforts to improve public sanitation

4. Provide support to those who have lost their jobs due to Covid-19 to find other gainful employment opportunities

5. Deploying resources for our security agencies to maintain peace and security

6. Complete many of our ongoing infrastructure projects within our resource envelope reflecting the theme of the budget

7. The implementation of the Ghana CARES programme to revitalised the economy and create employment

8. Continue the implementation of our flagship programmes including Planting for Food and Jobs, Free SHS and 1D1F agenda"

 

 

 

 

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