Ghanaians across the country yesterday greeted with mixed reactions the 2022 budget statement presented in Parliament in Accra by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta.
YAKUBU ABDUL-MAJEED, reports from TAMALE, the Northern Regional capital that while a number of residents in the Tamale metropolis commended the government for coming out with policies to cushion Ghanaians and make their lives better, others said it was nothing new but a recycle of old policies and programmes that would yield nothing.
A businesswoman at the Tamale Central market, Aku Malewee, commended the government for scrapping road tolls saying it would help boost businesses in the area.
She stated that the road tolls were not yielding any dividends but rather the collectors were misusing and misapplying the funds.
Another resident, Afa Ziblim Damani, said the budget was good, indicating that it would help reduce poverty and unemployment levels in the country.
Mr Yushwo Abukar, a teacher said that there was nothing in the budget.
He lamented that the budget would worsen the plight of citizens as many were using Momo transactions.
Mr Abukari stated that government had run out of ideas on how to govern the country.
GODFRED BLAY GIBBAH, TEMA reports that Kweku Osman, a physically challenged, was not happy that the road toll was being scrapped.
“What it means is that we Persons Living with Disability (PWD’s) would be laid off as no alternative employment has been planned for us”, he said.
He was also worried that the levy on mobile transactions was going to be increased.
Apart from that he said he was happy that the government had decided to prioritise the completion of ongoing projects in the health, education and housing sector to drive social mobility and transformation.
Mrs Doris Amissah, a teacher, was happy that government plans to activate the You start initiative nationwide to promote skills and entrepreneurship among the youth as the issue of unemployment had become unbearable.
From ESSIKADO in the Western Region, CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, reports that some residents in Sekondi-Takoradi applauded some government interventions as captured in the 2022 budget statement particularly on the abolishing of road levies on Ghana’s public roads.
They also expressed joy about the flagship programmes including the Free SHS and the momentum maintained in the gains made in food production.
A former bank manager of GCB Bank, Lawrence Fordjour, lauded the continuation of the Free SHS programme, which he believed, was critical to address Ghana’s challenge of training her future manpower.
“I am happy with the 2022 budget, it’s good, food production is on course, road projects , that’s the Accra- Cape Coast-Takoradi PPP project( 208km) to connect the Abidjan Lagos Corridor project will also be done, even the feasibility studies ongoing and expansion in the energy sector.” he added.
On the YouStart, he noted that, there would be some challenges as he worried about the sustainability of such innovations.
Essel Mohammed, a driver, who plied the Takoradi -Tarkwa highway, told the Ghanaian Times at Essipong that he was relieved that the toll levy had been abolished.
“Government has done well by abolishing the road levies.Its good efforts. We have suffered too much.” he added
Mr Essel explained that the road levies were collected without any corresponding improvement on the quality of the Tarkwa road, which had been a source of worry for commuters.
Nii Teiko, also a driver, commented that the removal of the road levy was a good decision which would bring huge reliefs to commuters especially on the Accra- Kasoa corridors.
Saying that the decision was inevitable, he stressed “the traffic at the Kasoa toll booth was just terrible, not forgetting the fumes from the exhausts and the congestion on the road.”
“I wish fuel prices would have also been reduced .It’s been increasing everyday.”Nii Teiko suggested.
Meanwhile, Mina Esi Nyakoah, a trader at Estate market in Takoradi, told the Ghanaian Times about the hardship small businesses experienced as the market prospects were dwindling due to economic drivers including fuel increases.
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