The Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin has responded to the Minority's call on the Finance Minister to resign.

After delivering the mid-year budget review on Monday, July 25, 2022, the Minority started chanting, "resign! resign!! resign!!".

According to them, the Minister has exhibited incompetence.

Addressing the parliamentary press corps, he asked the Minority if Mr. Seth Terkper and some of their ministers resigned despite their incompetence during their era.

He condemned the attacks on the Finance Minister and asked them to stay away from the Minister.

According to him, the NPP government, upon assumption of office, took immediate steps without delay to implement every single social intervention program while in opposition.

In doing so, the government did not attempt to introduce taxation. Rather, the government reviewed the taxation we inherited from the NDC government. Review in terms of some of them being reviewed downwards and some being reviewed completely.

He said the E-Levy was 5the first major discal policy in terms of taxation that the NPP government introduced.

The other taxes, such as the 'Borla tax' he added, are minor.

The legislator noted that the NDC government could decrease electricity tariffs, but the NPP reduced tariffs without adding new raxes.

To him, these are facts that even people who dislike the NPP government will agree with.

He insisted that the government performed well and achieved single-digit inflation until COVID-19 hit us, just like other countries.

" So should NDC and NDC MP come to you and tell you that the difficult times we are in are as a result of mismanagement, obviously, it may be one of the numerous propaganda because the world over, every government is complaining. Covid affected the supply chain; Covid affected industries. Many comp[anies shut down all over the world. We were all held as prisoners in our homes," he added.

"The worst of it is the current Russian-Ukraine war. Iron rods that are used by the private sector for construction come from Ukraine. Obviously, the supply chain is affected; obviously, the cost of importing will not be the same as previous. Now cement, the paper for bagging cement comes from Russia. As we speak, companies that are involved in the manufacturing of cement have difficulties in getting the required quantity for bagging."

He also mentioned flour and wheat as some of the commodities that had seen price hikes due to the ongoing war.

The lawmaker added that for the NDC to go to the IMF when there were no challenges compared to that of the NPP, they have no right to point fingers at the current administration or demand the resignation of Ken Ofori-Atta.

The government, he assured, will continue to roll out policies that will revive the economy.

Source:ghanaweb.com