A member of the Upper East Regional Communication Team of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Michael Atinga has questioned claims of economic hardships in the country.
Speaking on Dreamz FM’s Breakfast Today show, Mr. Atinga said the profligate lifestyle of Ghanaians does not support assertions that the country is in economic crisis which has consequently made life unbearable for citizens.
The NPP communicator argued that Ghanaians are still having fun everyday, excessively consuming meat and alcohol leading to the proliferation of drinking spots across the country hence, it cannot be the case that things are hard.
While admitting that he is feeling a pinch of the economic hurdles in the country, he maintained that he does not believe there is hardship since there is high consumption of meat particularly pork in parts of the Upper East Region and drinking spots are springing up across the country.
“Is the economy really bad? I don’t believe it. It is not that I don’t feel it, I don’t believe it. I have a friend who sells pork in a community called Winkongo. Every day, he slaughters a pig and the meat would finish. Is there any community that you’ll go and not see a beer bar? So when you tell me that the economy is bad, I don’t think it reflects on the ground,” he stated.
His claims come at a time the government is racing against time to find solutions to the economic challenges the country is currently facing.
The incessant increases in prices of petroleum products and the constant depreciation of the local currency coupled with the high public debt levels are said to have plunged the country into economic crisis.
The situation is compounded by the inability of the government to implement its proposed tax measures including the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) aimed at raising the needed revenue to turn the economic situation around. This has led to hikes in prices of goods and services, increasing cost of living in the country and making things difficult for citizens.
The government, in a bid to save the situation, is holding a crunch cabinet meeting to find solutions to the challenges.
The meeting, which is taking place at the Peduase Lodge in the Eastern Region, is expected to decide whether the government should continue its push for the passage of the E-Levy by Parliament or seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
