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Some residents within the Tamale Metropolis have expressed joy with the 2017 mid-year budget review presented by the Finance Minister on Monday.

They praised the government for living up to expectations within the short six months period that it had been in office and that there was a glimmer of hope that the NPP would turn the fortunes of the country relating to policy implementations.

Speaking in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on Tuesday Mr Alhassan Moro, a businessman, said the reduction in the cost of fuel reflected in the cost of transportation and services within the region, adding that removal of tax on spare parts would help the auto mobile business industry to grow.

He said supply of electricity in the NPP administration as compared to that of the previous government was far better and attributed the improvement to possible pragmatic measures put in place to alleviate the plight of consumers.

Mr Theophilus Nyankson, a teacher, said he was happy with the induction and implementation of the free Senior High School (SHS), which is slated to kick start in September 2017.

He said the free SHS was really going to benefit Ghanaians adding that subsidized agriculture inputs have also been provided to farmers as part of the “Planting for Food and Jobs” initiative.

Miss Abdulai Rukaya, a student nurse, said the restoration of health trainee allowance, which was captured in the budget would help them in their profession but expressed dissatisfaction on government’s reaction to their counterparts in the private nurses regarding their postings.

She said the intention to restructure the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) would make a great impact in providing quality health care to Ghanaians.

Mr Alhassan Sadick, a banker, said he was impressed with the “Asempa Budget” saying government’s strategy to reduce the borrowing rate was in the right direction adding that borrowing should not be a stand point for a developing country like Ghana.   

However, many of the respondents the GNA interviewed who were mainly business persons, security guards at some banks, taxi drivers and students claimed they were not aware that a budget had been read while others said they were aware but had no time to listen or watch on TV.