Well done: TUC informs the government of economic management | General news

The Congress of Trade Unions (TUC) praised the government for its "outstanding achievements in economic management," but called for policies to transform gains to improve the lives of Ghanaians.

The steady decline in inflation, the reduction of interest rates and the budget deficit were as remarkable as the improvement of the trade balance and gross international reserves, but it was asked what these statistics meant for the lives of Ghanaians and how the results could be maintained.

In a statement signed by its secretary general, Dr. Yaw Baah, the union said that growth in gross domestic product (GDP) as such did not guarantee that a larger cake would benefit everyone, explaining "We need policies that move us forward. beyond perpetual stabilization, we help connect the stability we celebrate to the everyday experiences of Ghanaians. "

GDP growth should result in the creation of decent jobs and housing, improved nutrition, better health care, quality education and improved sanitation facilities.

The statement expressed the union's support for all socially inclusive programs implemented by the government, including the free SHS program, the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo), the restoration of nursing education and teacher training allowances, the Expansion of the school. Power program, reduction of electricity tariffs and the Zongo Development Fund.

Others included the construction of community water systems, dams in the five northern regions, rural markets, clinics and warehouses, the provision of hospital beds and the purchase of ambulances in each. 275 constituencies, adding that the programs that should grab the attention of the government because they bring a real improvement to the lives of Ghanaians.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The TUC expressed enthusiasm for the end of the IMF Extended Credit Facility program, as it would take Ghana to another phase of development, which was underscored by the vision of President Akufo-Addo of Ghana Beyond Aid.

The communique explained that for this to happen, Ghana had to overcome the neo-liberal myth that economic growth, as measured by the increase in GDP, automatically created jobs and improved livelihoods, saying "this n & # 39; This is not always the case when GDP increases, it means that we are creating jobs. "

According to him, the opinion was a mistake, as Ghana had experienced "jobless growth" for more than three decades, since since 1984, the economy had been steadily developing, but unemployment had also increased during the same period.

He commended the government for the strong expansion of public sector employment and its support for the expansion of the public sector workforce, as decent jobs were created and the number of workers in the public sector increased. 39 Improving the delivery of public services, particularly in the two key social sectors of health and education, which are crucial for the well-being of citizens and human development.

"But we fully recognize the limits of the public sector's ability to absorb the large number of young people who are looking for a job. The ultimate solution to the employment crisis lies in the private sector. And this is also why the TUC has supported, among other initiatives, the factory A district, A factory.

The taxes

According to the statement, the port reforms announced by the Vice President are "fairly radical and rightly so", given the existence of archaic practices in the ports, and indicate that the reasons given to justify the measures are enough. clear, but that the expected benefits of the measures were not clear.

According to the newspaper, the government should make the "necessary budgetary adjustments" in the short term to compensate for any temporary shortfalls, which means that the reduction of import duties would benefit some individuals in the short term, to the detriment of money. public.

She called for a more detailed cost-benefit badysis of the measures, in terms of lost earnings and gains, as this would be more useful, and indicated that the new measures clearly showed the influence of the powerful import lobby. on policies. and politics in Ghana.

"We all know that unfair competition from imports, including substandard counterfeit products, is a major challenge for the domestic private sector. The new measures announced by the Vice President will continue to flood our import markets.

"This has implications for Ghana's domestic production, jobs and stability. Reforms of the import tariff regime should aim to reduce tariffs for imported intermediate inputs or for products that we currently do not have the capacity to produce, but not for all types of imports that are only for "Surpbad" local producers, "he said.