Budget will bring down prices of goods and services

Bepong (E/R), Feb. 16, GNA - The Government Spokesperson on Finance, Nana Ohene Ntow has said this year's budget statement was the only budget in the country's history which has failed to increase prices of goods and services and that it would greatly enhance the living standard of the people.

He said the reduction in taxes and free duty on some imported raw materials in the budget statement would enhance production at cheaper cost and also reduce prices of finished products.

Nana Ohene Ntow was addressing Mpraeso constituency NPP rally at Bepong in the Kwahu South district on Saturday.

He advised both local and foreign industrialists to take advantage of the government's tax holiday on the establishment of new industries to set up factories to process some of the agriculture produce for export.

This would offer good prices to the farmers and also to create employment to the youth in the country.

The spokesperson on Finance noted that the government's prudent economic policy has drastically reduced inflation and interest rate.

The MP for Abetifi, Mr Eugene Atta Agyapong, said the increase in the country's debt from 41 trillion cedis to 63 trillion cedis shows the confidence foreign banks and financial institutions have in the government's economic policies and programmes, hence their continued financial assistance to the country.

He said the NPP's three-year rule has enhance the country's development than the NDC's eight years' rule and therefore urged members and supporters of the party to register massively when the voters registration exercise is reopen next month to enable them vote the party to power to continue with its good policies and programmes for development.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis Osafo Mensah, said government would continue with its good policies and programmes to enhance the construction of social infrastructure to improve the standard of living of the people.

The District Chief Executive, Mr Raymond Osafo Djan, said about 200 people were being employed in the district to plant trees on a 200 hectare degraded forest reserve at Ohemaa village, near Ankoma where each person would be paid 220,000 cedis a month.

He therefore urged supporters and members of the NPP to unite and co-operate with each other and other opposition members who will want to join the party to enable them win the 2004 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.