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Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has strongly criticized the 2024 mid-year budget review, describing it as uninspiring and hopeless.
Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam presented the budget review to Parliament on Tuesday, July 23, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fiscal discipline, including adherence to budgetary allocations and careful management of expenditures to avoid overspending.
Also Read: Ghana’s public debt hits GH¢742bn from GH¢658.6bn – Amin Adam
Dr. Ato Forson, however, expressed concerns that the budget failed to provide relief to Ghanaians and businesses. He argued that the government missed an opportunity to abolish certain taxes, which could have alleviated the financial burdens faced by citizens.
“This mid-year review leaves many people disappointed and uninspired. It gives no hope to the ordinary Ghanaian that anything will be done to change the unbearable hardships that confront the people of Ghana,” Dr. Ato Forson stated.
He highlighted that in the last eight years, the administration of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia has imposed a high tax regime, including the E-levy, COVID levy, and an effective VAT rate of 22%, which have heavily burdened Ghanaian businesses and individuals.
Dr. Ato Forson urged Ghanaians to brace for more hardship, reflecting his skepticism about the government’s ability to improve the economic situation.
