By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, March 13, GNA – The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticised the ruling National Democratic Congress government of not showing enough commitment towards implementing its US$10 billion strategic infrastructure development, otherwise known as the “Big Push”.
Addressing the media in Parliament in Accra, on its True Budget Statement, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi and former Information Minister, said the Government had failed in making the necessary budget allocations to give meaning to its planned infrastructure programme.
He said infrastructure investments were known to be pivotal towards opening the space for growth and jobs creation in the economy.
“Unfortunately, however the big Push programme government has failed in making the necessary budget allocations to give meaning to its planned infrastructure programme.
“Out of the expected US$2.5billion to kick start the programme this year, the government has announced that it can only make available $800m (less than 1 billion). In effect, the Big Push itself needs a push if anything meaningful will happen in infrastructure,” he said.
The lawmaker also expressed worry about the Agenda 111 projects, which many districts were looking forward to, noting that, it appeared the programme was heading for a halt.
“The Budget allocations for its continuation appear illusive. The dedicated source of funding of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF Health), which was receiving funds from the Capex allocation of Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) is now constrained as the government signalled it will be cutting funding to GIIF.
More so, he said, there was no clear alternative financing source identified in the budget to fund the project.
“This is truly worrying. Not only is it contrary to the NDC’s promise to health workers that it will continue the projects, abandoning them or giving them out as franchises will jeorpadise the efforts at universal health coverage.
“The millions of citizens in remote districts who are looking forward to their lives being saved from this healthcare intervention are now at risk,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah observed.
“Mr President, in the name of God, please do not abandon them for political reasons,” he added.
GNA
GRB