ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
In short, import duties will be far higher than they were before April 2019 when the benchmark value discounts were introduced, in view of the continuous free fall of the Cedi and the raft of new crippling tax measures that government has introduced since April 2019.
Ladies and gentlemen, we wish to make the point, that this catastrophic decision has been occasioned by the self-inflicted economic malaise we presently find ourselves in, with our economy in tatters and government simply unable to find money to do anything.
After five (5) years of economic mismanagement and reckless election-driven spending, which have taken the country back to its HIPC days, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government has decided to punish the already-burdened Ghanaian people with more hardships for their own recklessness and mismanagement.
This is why all manner of crippling taxes and killer revenue measures such as the reversal of benchmark value discounts are now being imposed on Ghanaians to shore up government’s revenue just to create an artificial picture of a sound economy in order to convince the investor community on more and more borrowing.
We in the NDC are left in no doubt whatsoever that this latest decision by Government to reverse discounts on benchmark values of imported goods, further accentuates Dr.
Bawumia’s place as the most deceitful Politician in Ghana’s history.
It will be recalled that sometime in the year 2019, Dr.
Bawumia was all over the place pontificating that Ghana's Ports were one of the most expensive in the sub-region and that government had decided to introduce discounted benchmark values in order to facilitate more trade volumes, make our ports more competitive, reduce smuggling and increase government revenues from the Ports.
Friends, the question that ought to be asked is, what has changed in just two years to warrant a reversal of that so-called “brilliant economic policy” which was introduced by the once economic messiah of the NPP who has now turned himself into an IT champion?
What happened to all the justifications Dr.
Bawumia mounted for the introduction of the discounted benchmark values?
Is government no longer interested in facilitating more trade volumes and making our Ports competitive?
Is government no longer interested in reducing smuggling and increasing national revenue through benchmark value discounts?
Furthermore, the reversal of benchmark value discounts on selected imported goods reinforces our long-held view that this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government is an insensitive and callous administration which does not have the wellbeing of the Ghanaian people at heart.
These are the very people who promised among other things to move this country from taxation to production, but have yet again pulled another deception on Ghanaians relative to import duty and Port charges.
Never has a government been this cunning and untruthful to the people in our history as a country.
As always, it would come as no surprise to us for government’s apologists led by Dr.
Bawumia himself to once again canvass the COVID-19 pandemic as a convenient excuse for the decision to reverse benchmark value discounts.
These days, the inept and clueless AkufoAddo/Bawumia/NPP government blames literally every single thing on COVID-19, including when the sun fails to appear.
However, it is important to state forcefully that COVID-19 can never be blamed for the reversal of benchmark values.
Government exceeded its revenue target for the year 2020 (COVID year) and actually raked in more revenue than they did before COVID struck.
For instance, in the year 2019 before the advent of COVID-19, total tax revenue stood at just about GHS43 billion, while total tax revenue for 2020 (covid-year) stood at GHS45.3 billion, thereby exceeding government’s tax revenue target for 2020 by a whopping GHS2.5 billion.
Also, whereas government projected a total tax revenue of GHS55 billion for the 2021 fiscal year, our checks show that this revenue target has been exceeded.
In addition to this, and by courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic, government has received support of about US$2 billion from the IMF, a US$100 million grant from the World Bank, US$250 million from the Stabilization Fund, about GHS20 billion support from the Central Bank, among others, all of which have been squandered on hyper-inflated consumption-related expenditures.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is worthy of note that, several countries in the sub-region such as Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, among others, have better budget deficit, debt to GDP ratio and other economic indices than Ghana despite being hit by the COVID pandemic.
None of these countries have slapped their citizenry with the kind of draconian revenue measures the Ghanaian people are witnessing at the hands of the insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
Therefore, COVID-19 can neither be a reasonable justification for the reversal of benchmark discounts on imported products nor the imposition of unprecedented hardships and misery on Ghanaians by this government.
On the contrary, it is down to crass economic mismanagement spurred by a toxic combination of unbridled borrowing and reckless spending on misplaced priorities that have brought us here.
That is what has created the unprecedented high budget deficit and unsustainable debt hole we presently find ourselves in.
Again, we must register our displeasure at the misplaced priorities of this government and the continuous waste of the public purse on the opulent lifestyle of the President and his government of family and friends in this time of economic difficulties.
It is important to emphasize that, revenue has never been a problem for the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.
Without any argument, this government has been the luckiest and most resourced government in Ghana’s history, with a total resource envelope of over GHS460 billion accruing to them in the last five years.
It is a fact that this government has had more taxes than any other government in Ghana’s history (GHS157 billion in four years (2017-2020) as compared to GHS86 billion that accrued to the NDC/Mahama administration in four years- 2013-2016); more oil revenue and more borrowed funds than any government in Ghana’s history.
Yet, the chunk of all these unprecedented revenues is spent on consumption-related expenditures such as the rental of hyper-expensive luxurious jets to satisfy the comfort of President Akufo-Addo, while the rest of the meager resources of state are misappropriated through corruption and naked thievery by his appointees and family & friends, as was recently noted by the Catholic Bishops Conference.
For instance, the 2020 Auditor General report shows that Ghana lost over GHS32 billion as a result of corruption and financial irregularities in the public sector from 2017-20202.
President Akufo-Addo continues to display such insensitivity in this time of economic difficulties and same continues to be emulated by his appointees.
Friends from the media, the claim by government that the purpose of the reversal of benchmark value discounts is to address concerns raised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and promote local production, is mischievous and ridiculous to say the say least.
This is because some of the items listed under the 44 categories of imported goods affected by this draconian policy, such as vehicles, spare parts, Plants, Equipment, machinery, sugar, some drugs (pharmaceuticals) are not manufactured in Ghana, while some of the affected items such as Clinker, cement paper, paper etc.
are input materials for local production.
Even for the few affected products that are produced locally, we do not currently have the local capacity to produce to meet national demand.
Hence, any policy that seeks to increase import duties and ultimately the prices of goods, will lead to more hardships in the country.
The sensible thing for government to do under the circumstances if they are genuinely minded to support AGI and boost local production is to reduce the cost of doing business and the factors of production by stabilizing the Ghana cedi, reducing the tax burden on businesses and by ensuring that businesses have access to cheaper credit, low utility tariffs and subsidized inputs.
This is the the surest and sustainable way of boosting local production without necessarily increasing the level of hardships in the country.
In conclusion, we wish to make the point, that Ghanaians have had enough of the deception and callousness of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government.
The NDC holds the view, that this is not the time for more taxes and draconian revenue measures such as the reversal of benchmark value discounts.
We share in the view expoused by GUTA that the GRA withdraws the statement announcing this measure which will only go a long way to stifle the already burdened businesses in the country.
We contend that this is the time for the judicious and efficient use of taxes collected, and the meager resources of state for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
Enough of the wastage and ostentation being displayed by President Akufo-Addo and his government, only to turn around and impose hardship on the Ghanaian people through killer measures such as these.
It is about time we came together as a people irrespective of our social backgrounds or political affiliations to resist these draconian measures of the failed Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government which will only worsen our living conditions should they be allowed to stand.
Enough is Enough!
Signed, Sammy Gyamfi Esq.
Thank you very much for responding to the invitation of our great party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
If there was ever any doubt, I am sure that doubt has been cleared by now: the NDC is poised for victory in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, come December 7.
To quote our flagbearer John Mahama when he launched our 2020 Campaign in Dwenase – Sefwi Wiawso yesterday, we need to win the elections too, “Deliver true change not for ourselves but for our dear country.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is obvious, the sovereign people of Ghana are yearning for change in this election – not just any change but quality change.
And it is this quality change that the tested and trusted President John Dramani Mahama and his Running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, NDC parliamentary candidates, and the rank and file of our party are offering.
We have worked very hard, and we are working even harder; we have an impressive record of achievements, and most importantly, we have a superior manifesto – “The Peoples’ Manifesto.”
There is hope ahead for every Ghanaian because God willing on December 07, we will go to the polls and change this Government which has been a gross disappointment, divided instead of uniting our people, and visited socio-economic pain on many a Ghanaian in several facets of our national life.
This includes the health sector, which is the focus of today’s press conference—specifically, Free Primary Health Care.
Free Primary Health Care Ladies and Gentlemen, during the historic outdooring of Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang at the University of Professional Studies (UPSA), among other significant promises such as paying depositors of all affected financial institutions all their monies within one year, President Mahama for the first time, announced his programme to roll out the Free Primary Health Care Plan, God willing, when voted into office.
Free Primary health Care will be the single largest social intervention under the Fourth Republic.
The Free Primary Health Care Plan will deliver preventive health, health promotion interventions and curative care.
It seeks to provide quality health care for all Ghanaians at no cost to the individual.
And President Mahama has demonstrated his unquenchable determination to implement it.
Under the Free Primary Health Care Plan, no Ghanaian will pay for health care in District hospitals, Polyclinics, Health Centres and Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) compounds.
Notably, you will not need a National Health Insurance (NHIS) card to benefit from Free Primary Health Care.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Free Primary Health Care, is very important and critical because health is integral to national development.
With Free Primary Health care, we shall significantly reduce avoidable deaths due to hypertension, strokes, diabetes, kidney disease and many others...This significant reduction in the death burden will help improve the quality of lives for those suffering such diseases.
In addition, we shall intensify public education on preventable lifestyles that can lead to such diseases.
Under the Free Primary Health Care Plan, Ghanaians – teachers, health workers, civil and public servants, journalists, students, farmers, fishers, artisans, drivers – will no longer have to postpone the need to see a doctor because they neither have money nor health insurance.
With Free Primary Health Care, free means free: walk into the health facility and you will receive care.
In this election, Ghanaians will choose between the candidate and the party with a clear promise to provide health care for all Ghanaians, and the NPP which remains locked up in the past and has shown through the abandoning of health infrastructure that it is not committed to achieving “Health for All” Ghanaians as stipulated by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Specifically, SDG3, Health for All.
Ladies and Gentlemen, even before the SDGs, Ghana had subscribed to the Alma Ata Declaration (1978), the Millennium Development Goals (2000), the Kampala Declaration (2008), and recently in 2018, the current Government also subscribed to the Astana Declaration.
Over the years, since 1978, providing health for all Ghanaians through primary health care in a manner which is affordable, accessible and of good quality, has eluded us.
We believe this, coupled with the gaping vulnerabilities revealed within Ghana’s health system during this Coronavirus Disease pandemic are some of the key reasons defining election 2020.
In this election, God willing, Ghanaians will choose President Mahama who provided the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), the Ridge Hospital and a raft of health infrastructure and durable interventions across the country.
Once again, we believe, Ghanaians will choose President Mahama who has an explicit and well thought through promise to provide Free Primary Health Care; and not his opposite contender who has failed the health sector as President and is showing no bold and credible commitment towards the achievement of “Health for All” Ghanaians.
Ladies and Gentlemen, globally, providing health care is focused on prioritising primary health care.
This is premised on the fact that keeping citizens healthy has been shown to: Minimise overall health care cost; increase quality-adjusted healthy years and life expectancy; ensure adequate skill mix to guarantee accelerated economic growth; and Decrease the pressure on secondary, tertiary and quaternary health care facilities, including addressing the dreaded “No bed syndrome.”
In Ghana, where outpatient per capita (that is the number of times the average citizen accesses primary healthcare) is less than one, health-seeking behaviours are skewed more towards the curative rather than the preventive.
Experts have suggested many reasons for this poor health-seeking behaviour.
Amongst them include: high out of pocket cost ; low National Health Insurance coverage - less than 40% of Ghanaians are on health insurance long waiting times (about 161 minutes for an average primary health appointment in a public health facility); and poor customer service at primary health care facilities.
These need to change in line with our changing disease burden patterns.
We indeed need Free Primary Health Care to make Ghanaians access health care, including appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries; and provision of essential drugs at no cost to them.
Free Primary Health Care will also prioritise and improve the responsiveness of the health system.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the next NDC Government is determined to fix the high out of pocket payments.
With Free Primary Health Care, nobody –we mean no Ghanaian – will pay a pesewa at any primary health care facility when he or she is attended to.
Free Primary Health Care Will Reduce Long Waiting Time Ladies and Gentlemen, another benefit of our Free Primary Health Care Plan will be a drastic reduction in the over two (2) and half hours long waiting time, which overwhelms health workers, wastes the time of patients and their families, invariably leads to poor customer service at our health care facilities and on the national scale reduces productivity.
For many people with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, most of their routine tests and reviews do not need to take place in the traditional brick and mortar health facilities.
This is because personal health information such as blood pressure, pulse rate, height, weight, temperature, oxygen saturation etc.
can be performed remotely without these individuals physically visiting a health facility.
Other semi-invasive tests like blood glucose level can be done by using rapid diagnostic kits.
The patients will have these tests done at accredited local Pharmacy or Drug stores as the case may be at a fee to be paid by Government.
This will also diversify the range of services that Pharmacy and Drug shops offer and create more jobs.
In addition, we will connect patients with medical laboratories – both public and private – that can perform other invasive tests by using their mobile laboratory technicians.
This will also create more jobs for drivers, designated motor riders and laboratory technicians.
As a result of the care they will be receiving outside of the health facilities, people will visit district hospitals, polyclinics, clinics and CHPS compounds only when it is necessary to do so.
This will reduce congestion in our health facilities, reduce waiting time and make it possible for Ghanaians to seek health care on time.
With this enhanced health-seeking behaviour, diseases will be picked up early by health professionals and managed.
This early detection of diseases due to Free Primary health Care will reduce medical complications which usually require inpatient care.
As a result, there will be fewer hospitalisations and in tandem, with other interventions, the dreaded “No bed syndrome” will be addressed.
Free Primary Health Care Will Create Jobs Over and above the jobs to be created under the Free Primary health Care Plan stated, there is, also, excellent news for Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses, Midwives, Community Health Nurses, Pharmacists, Doctors and Allied Health workers and other health entrepreneurs.
Free Primary Health Care will require additional health human resource – this heralds more jobs for the good people of Ghana.
The Mahama led government will also enlist the services of private sector providers and support their facilities to participate in the delivery of Free Primary Health Care to Ghanaians.
In addition, in order to ensure that health care reaches all Ghanaians in every corner of the country, health professionals including Doctors, Physician Assistants, Midwives, Nurses interested in private group practice will also be given the needed stimulus to set up and render quality service to Ghanaians.
Free Primary Health Care Will Integrate E-Health and Save Cost Ladies and Gentlemen, you may recall that President Mahama successfully piloted E-Health in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Korle Bu Polyclinic and Zebilla District hospital among others.
You also recall he provided: the ultramodern Tier-3 600- Rackspace National Data Centre; the biggest in West Africa; the LTE/4G network; the over 800-kilometers Eastern Corridor Fiber Optic; the 112 National Emergency Number and many others.
These monumental achievements in the ICT sector will be leveraged to enhance the implementation of Free Primary Health Care.
Deploying and expanding E-health facilities as well as improving access will be one of our major tools of delivering on our promise of Free Primary Health Care to all Ghanaians.
Patient data will be collected with all the appropriate patient consent protocols and confidential guidelines into a national cloud-based electronic patient health record system.
Also, the current e-Tracker for Community Health Nurses to collect point of care data of patients as they provide services and undertake home visits from CHPS compounds, will be expanded to cover the whole country.
Thus, as we have highlighted, a clinician could access this information remotely at any point and independently take care of patients.
We will also enhance and scale up the use of ICT through teleconsultation and telemedicine across the country.
The features will be enhanced to include patient-doctor video consultations.
By using this approach, patients across the country from Paga and the borders of Burkina Faso to the north, Elubo to the west, and Aflao bordering Togo to the east including all Coastal towns and all Ghanaians within Ghana, can be seen by a clinician anywhere.
This Plan will also help address the acute shortage of health professionals in many deprived and rural areas because they will be seen by doctors who may even be in Accra, Ho, Kumasi, Takoradi, Cape Coast via the power of ICT.
Furthermore, this inherent efficiency-enhancing and cost-saving attribute of ICT-driven Free Primary Health Care will cut down overhead costs of running and maintaining facilities.
Digitisation of prescriptions will also improve the fight against counterfeit drugs and provide an audit trail that will become a valuable tool in the fight against fraud in the health care system.
Free Primary Health Care Will Make NHIS Better Ladies and Gentlemen, the Free Primary Health Care Plan will make the NHIS better because it will pay for primary care, preventive and promotive health.
Let me clarify once again that, a Ghanaian will not need a National Health Insurance (NHIS) card to benefit from Free Primary Health Care.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this means, unlike the NHIS, you do not have to pay a premium to benefit from Free Primary Health Care.
We believe this will strengthen the ailing financial health of the NHIS and afford the scheme an opportunity to pay debts owed service providers.
Expert opinion suggests Health Insurance is insufficient to ensure universal health coverage.
In Ghana, so far, the NHIS does not even cover 40% of the population.
The facts.
Between 2017 and 2019 – the NHIS recorded an increase of 0.8% in coverage over the three year period.
If you contrast this with the estimated 6.6% increase in the Population of Ghana over the same period (2017 – 2019) you will understand why the NPP’s promise in this election to use the NHIS to achieve SDG3, Health for All Ghanaians, within the next nine (9) years cannot be trusted and must be rejected by the electorate.
They do not have a credible plan for “Health for All” Ghanaians.
Vote John Mahama and NDC for Free Primary Health Care.
We wish to assure you, under the next NDC Government, the NHIS will concentrate attention and efforts to protect citizens against the cost of health care at the secondary and tertiary level.
And with a well-functioning Free Primary Health Care Programme, you can be confident that the patients at the secondary and tertiary levels will be reduced because early warning signs of disease will be picked up through screening and attended to promptly.
Free Primary Health Care and More Ladies and Gentlemen, in addition to Free Primary Health Care, the Peoples’ Manifesto also captures other significant promises in the health sector.