The Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Isaac Adongo has criticised Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s promise to increase smartphone accessibility for Ghanaians if he becomes president.
Addressing supporters at a campaign event in the Northern region, Dr Bawumia unveiled a plan to partner with mobile phone manufacturers to offer smartphones to Ghanaians on a credit basis.
But the MP for Bolgatanga Central argued that this promise highlights the current government’s lack of vision.
“The period that we find ourselves where our youth are unemployed, you begin to see a government in power preying on the vulnerability of our unemployed youth. You move unemployment from 8% to 14% and all you can tell the unemployed youth who are looking up how you will create the jobs for them, and get the next meal, what you tell them is that you will give them a mobile phone so that every month they will pay GH¢1 and GH¢2.
“How can that find a solution to the unemployed situation? This is a visionless government that intentionally created unemployment for our youth so they will prey on them for election purposes,” he stated.
Isaac Adongo made these comments while discussing the 2024 Mid-Year Budget Review, stating that the promise is a misguided effort.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Abena Osei-Asare on her part said the economy is on the path of recovery.
“Mr. Speaker, in the first quarter of 2024, growth is leading around 4.7% and this is way higher than what we saw in 2023 same year. Mr. Speaker the most exciting thing about this growth rate is that it is industry that is driving this growth rate.
“The industry went up by 6.8% followed by agriculture by 4.1% and services by 3.1%; so Mr Speaker clearly shows the economy is on the path of recovery and we are happy with the policies that we have put in place to make sure the economy gets back on track,” she stated.
