Time for government to tell the truth; 2018 not looking good - Pratt

Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has predicted economic doom for the Akufo-Addo administration in the year 2018.

According to the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, next year will not be a better year economically for the government, due to some challenges that he foresees the current administration will be bedevilled with.

The seasoned journalist was commenting on the 2018 Budget Statement and Economic Policy that will be presented by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, November 15.

The sector Minister will appear before the House to update legislators and Ghanaians on government's expenditure and financial obligations.

The first budget statement delivered by the government since its inception was presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister on March 2, 2017.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Tuesday, Mr. Pratt called on the government to be truthful to Ghanaians on the real state of the economy since they came into power.

Mr. Pratt insisted his "prediction for next year is not good. Based on what IMF has said. Based on what IFS has said. Based on analysis I’ve read from various think tanks and so on, the situation for 2018 is not looking good".

He noted that it will help the nation if the government can stop playing games with Ghanaians and come clean on how the country is faring under the Akufo-Addo leadership.

“If you tell people that everything is alright that since we came, everything is progressing and they find out the next morning that there has been petrol price increase; how would they understand you? If you tell them that everything is alright and the next morning the person checks his/her pocket and it’s empty, how can they understand you? If today you tell everyone that everything is alright and the next morning the person’s child is sick and he/she can’t afford hospital bills, how can you explain it?” he rhetorically quizzed.

To him, "it is time to speak truthfully and forcefully about the state of the national economy. This government is not lucky.”