New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has criticised the Mahama administration for failing to implement its promised Women’s Development Bank, saying the initiative has yet to serve a single market woman almost two years into the government’s term.
Speaking at the NPP conference in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, Dr Bawumia said: “The NDC also promised a Women’s Development Bank. Almost two years on, that bank has not opened its doors to a single market woman.”
Electricity and rising living costs
Dr Bawumia also accused the government of failing to deliver on a promise to reduce electricity tariffs through the 24-hour economy.
“However, nearly two years on, there has rather been a dramatic increase in electricity tariff thus crippling households, small businesses and industries,” he said.
“Today, the barber shop owner, the hair salon operator, the bread baker and many young businesses who were promised better electricity tariffs are now striving to survive because much of their sales are going into electricity bills under the NDC government.”
He said households were facing further pressure from rising transport and rental costs, despite inflation falling to 5%.
“As if the suffocating electricity and water tariffs are not enough, cost of transportation continues to rise, especially in the cities, due to rising cost of spare parts and fuel. Cost of rent has also continued to rise,” Dr Bawumia said.
“So even though on paper, inflation has declined to 5%, the cost of living for ordinary Ghanaians has increased massively!”
Cedi stability and gold programme
Dr Bawumia said the government’s main economic support had been the relative stability of the cedi, which he attributed largely to the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
“In the midst of the government failing to fulfill its promises and unleashing all these difficulties to households and businesses, its lifeline has been the relative stability of the Cedi, largely supported by our innovative Domestic Gold Purchase Programme,” he said.
He said the Bank of Ghana introduced the programme in June 2021 on his recommendation to shield the currency from international shocks.
“Records show how the programme saved our economy from serious crisis and revamp of the Cedi,” he said, adding that it was now the main support for cedi stability and had contributed to easing inflation and interest rates.
Dr Bawumia said it was “ironic” that key government officials who now supported the policy had opposed it when it was introduced, arguing that it was not feasible.
Agenda 111 and Free SHS
He also accused the government of abandoning initiatives introduced by the NPP, including Agenda 111, which was designed to provide district hospitals in areas without them.
“If the NPP was in office, these hospitals would have been completed to provide easy access to healthcare to millions of Ghanaians and tens of thousands of jobs to health graduates,” he said.
On education, Dr Bawumia said Free Senior High School was also “suffering under the NDC”, with meals for students deteriorating despite a promise to improve them.
He further claimed that many young Basic Education Certificate Examination graduates were being excluded from the programme, with parents told their children had failed deserving admission.
“They never believed in it. They bastardised it for years, election after election until they realized its impact on every household in Ghana,” he said.
