“We are going to reduce the President’s office expenditure to pay the Assembly members” – Mahama

John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has stated that people are judging him based on the promises he made prior to the general elections of 2024.

Mahama stated that given the current state of the economy, he was unable to make any significant promises.

He made these comments while addressing NDC supporters in Hohoe in the Volta Region.

Speaking in Hohoe to wrap up his two-day tour to the Volta Region on “Building the Ghana we want together,” Mr. Mahama stated: “The budget for the President’s office alone is more than GH¢2 billion.”We are going to reduce the President’s office expenditure to pay the Assembly members.”

Mr. Mahama added that all Assembly members would receive GH¢1,000 in monthly allowances from the incoming NDC administration.

According to him, the country would have to spend GH¢80 million annually on allowance payments.

“I am being very measured in the promises that I make because we all know the crisis in which this country has been plunged [into]. We will show you the books and finances of this country, and you will realise the harm that the New Patriotic Party administration has done this country, the economy is broke.”

Mr Mahama also condemned the government’s decision to tax electricity consumers.

“Today, they’ve put Value Added Tax on electricity bills. And COVID levy, NHIL levy, GETFUND Levy all on electricity bills, and so that’s going to send the cost of your electricity bill up. Already, there was a 29 per cent increase, there was a 19 per cent increase, then they tried to fool us with a 4% increase, and now it’s going up again astronomically”, Mr Mahama decried.

“It’s making Ghana a very difficult place to do business. All business people are complaining. The owner of this hotel who has given us this resort to do this thing, you should ask him how much he’s paying in utility bills. And yet, because of the mismanagement by the President and his cousin and his Vice President, it has plunged all of us into a difficult situation where they have pledged to the IMF [International Monetary Fund] to raise as much revenue as they ca,” the former president noted.

“And the point is, while you are raising revenue reduce your expenditure because that’s what any sane reasonable person does. Because if you reduce your expenditure, you can ease the burden that you’re putting on the taxpayer”, he highlighted.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com