Mahama: I’m just in 1st gear; will soon change to 4th

President John Mahama says his critics should be patient with his government because the bus of his administration is currently travelling in its “first gear”.

President Mahama told a gathering at Awutu Senya in the Central Region on Friday that he will soon change to 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear to accelerate developments in the country.

He has been harshly criticised for the wobbly economic outlook of the country.

Political critics like the Convention People’s Party (CPP) say the country is broke.

Some Economists from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, including Dr. Robert Osei, have warned that Ghana risks going into a highly indebted poor country state if the economy of the country is not steered back onto the road.

Ghana’s donor partners recently suspended aid budget support aid to the West African nation over concerns with the country’s expenditure of 70 percent of tax revenue on the wages of about 700,000 workers.

They also raised issues with the high budget deficit of 12.1 per cent for 2012.

The president’s critics are also angry with him over his handling of major corruption scandals, particularly, the rot at the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).

The government also uncovered recently that about 280 private and state organisations, including some Ministries and the Electricity Company of Ghana, connived with some customs officers at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to defraud the state of over Ghc144 million in tax revenue between 2005 and 2012.

President Mahama has, however, assured his critics that they will soon start seeing developmental projects.