Gov't To Buy New Presidential Jet - Akorli

There were indications that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would buy a new Presidential Jet with a capacity of 83 passengers next year, Mr Steve Akorli, Member of Parliament for Ho-East said at the weekend.

In addition the government would increase the daily allowance of officials, who travel outside the country, from 90 dollars to 250 dollars a day.

Mr Akorli, who was a former Minister of Roads and Transport in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, made this known at the 5th Bi-Annual Volta Regional Youth and Women's Wing Delegates' Conference at Ho.

He said the NDC's defeat in last year's election was an opportunity for Ghanaians to assess the NPP government to enable them to make informed choices in the 2004 elections.

Mr said the NPP was incapable of governing as expected because the Danquah-Busia Tradition had become rusty from the 30 years that it was out of power.

"Staying without an activity over the period was making them dormant and rusty... as reflected in the hasty and reckless manner, this country is being governed", he stressed.

The government's review of this year's budget in November at a time when it declared that the economy was on course, showed inconsistencies in its approach to the management of the economy.

Mr Akorli said the government was taking credit for the positive results of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and the divestiture of State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) initiated by the NDC, despite the fact that NPP resisted them when it was in opposition.

He noted that government was disbursing 180 billion cedis, accruing from the divestiture of SOEs and 500 million cedis, from VAT in spite of its condemnation of those measures.

The MP said the fall in inflation rate was unsustainable because it was dependent on the stable oil and commodity prices on the world market rather than the government's ability to manage the economy efficiently. He added that within 10 months of its administration, the government had borrowed 7.6 trillion cedis.

There were doubts about the sincerity of the government's reconciliation initiative as it tended to limit its scope to military regimes alone.

Mr Akorli said none of the governments, which ruled the country since independence could be absolved from human right abuses.

He suggested: "President Kufuor and ex-President Rawlings should publicly apologise for the excesses visited on some Ghanaians since independence, as a cost and time saving measure."

Members of the party should desist from petty squabbles and work hard to groom and market their candidates for the 2004 elections since the party would no longer enjoy the advantages of incumbency.

In an election supervised by Mr Robert Attamah, Ho District Electoral Officer, a six-member executive were elected unopposed.

Mr Anthony Davordzi-Klutsey replaces Mr John K. Gyapong as Regional Youth Organiser with Mr William Attipoe and Mr Maxwell Owusu-Siaw as first and second deputy Regional Youth Organisers, respectively.

The position of Regional Women's Organiser went to Madam Mercy Kuada, who would be assisted by Miss Jessie Ekumebu and Miss Grace Gbedege Zakli. Mr Gyapong observed that the time of name-calling has elapsed, adding: "What is needed now is to elect time tested and dynamic people to lead the party to victory".