Economist, Dr Theo Acheampong, says some of the expenditure cut measures outlined in the 2023 budget are unachievable.
According to him, some of them are “mere sloganeering” arguing that the freeze on the use of V8 vehicles in Accra by government appointees cannot be monitored.
The Herald has also picked up reports from government circles that this directive cannot be achieved as most government appointees, do not have saloon cars, hence parking their V8 and V6 cars, will be impossible if state machinery is to run unhindered.
It was explained that the abandonment of the high capacity cars will mean the purchase of thousands of Saloon cars for the public sector workers, as well as those political appointees of the Akufo-Addo government. This has been said to be impossible, as there is no cash to realize this.
Reports available to The Herald is that Cabinet did not discuss a ban on the use of the V8 and V6 cars, but rather given the green number plates to all such vehicles to indicate that they were government-owned, however, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, in his budget presentation communicated something different.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, the economist also said, the budget will impose some extra hardships on Ghanaians.
“In a sense, the government talks about some austerity but in my view, this is actually not an austerity budget. At the central government level, it is very much expansionary in terms of scale and scope where we project to spend 51% more money compared to what they did in 2022 at the same time we want to raise 49% more revenue.
“So it is an austerity budget for many citizens in the sense that some taxes are likely to go up and that is going to up to an already difficult situation. There are some measures to raise more revenue and cut expenditure but some of the time I think cannot be implemented.
“A number of the measures including the vehicles and things like that I think is mere sloganeering.”
The measure is among a number announced by the government to cut its expenditure.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on Thursday, announced that as part of measures to reduce government’s costs, some perks of being in government will be withdrawn.
It, includes a ban on the use of V8 and V6 in the capital, except in the case of cross-country journeys.
