On My Humble Mind: Fuel Increment On The Plight Of Ghanaians

The current economic plight being experienced by many Ghanaians continues on ascendency under the NDC administration with the huge increment on price of petroleum products.

President Mahama and his team does not have any creative and innovative measures to reduce the burden they continually put on Ghanaians except to pass on their maladministration and poor economic management on the poor and vulnerable.

The National Petroleum Authority, the body set up to regulate the prices of petroleum products on behalf of the government announced between 15% to 20.38% increment on the products.

According to the NPA and some spokespersons of government, the singular most contributing factor for such astronomical increments should be attributed to the fall of the country's currency, the cedi against the dollar on the international market.

The price of crude oil on the international market has not seen any appreciable increases in recent times yet Ghanaians are forced to buy the product at very high price at the pumps to meet their basic economic and social needs. This is primarily due to the government's inability or lack of the capacity to stabilise the national currency.

The effects of these huge upward adjustments of petroleum products has direct correlation on the cost of movement of goods and services. Food prices have gone up, goods and services are increasing on a daily basis. Cost of living is gone up and the quality of life for many Ghanaians have fallen drastically. Poverty and deprivation continue to weigh on the vast majority of our people.

The pump prices of premixed fuel, liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene, diesel and petrol have increased astronomically. The high cost of these products has a direct effect on expenditure of businesses and people's livelihoods.

The cost of doing business in Ghana is skyrocketing. Financial planning and forecasting and begetting are rendered ineffective. It is feared that the few investment community are relocating to other countries in the subregion.

Ironically, the President Mahama's government has systematically collapsed all the social intervention policies initiated, developed, run and handed over by the President Kuffour and New Patriotic Party's administration to mitigate the plight of the poor and vulnerable in society.

The Metro Mass Transport and the rehabilitation of the Accra - Tema rail lines were measures instituted to ameliorate the plight of the vulnerable in society.

Unfortunately today there has been no relieve or programmes accompanying these huge adjustment of petroleum prices which took effect on last Monday, Civil society organisations must implore on the government to expand the social interventions to relieve the poor when prices are reviewed upwards.

In spite of the NDC's acclaimed ability to management of the economy, Ghanaians are becoming poorer because of the instability and decline of the value of the cedi vis a viz other international trading currencies.

The management of the economic indicators and its attendant ramifications is an integral part of our governance system of the country. The presidential oath which H.E John Dramani Mahama sworn to states inter alia

" ...I will be faithful and true to the Republic of Ghana; that I will at ALL times preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana; and that I dedicate myself to the service and well-being of the people of the Republic of Ghana and to do right to all manner of persons."

Instead of the president putting in place innovative programmes and policy framework to enhance the wellbeing of the citizenry, the government is over seeing to the deprivation of Ghanaian through over taxation, poor infrastructure development, high utility tariffs, insanitary conditions and erratic supply of utility services.

As if these debilitating conditions are not enough, the prices of petroleum products has seen the most upward reviews ever since the establishment of the automatical adjustment policy by the National Petroleum Authority at a go.

Ghanaians are now being forced to purchase the products at exorbitant prices. The effects of this increments on the plight of the Ghanaian is obvious.

The prices of goods and services have sky rocketed. The salaries of public sector workers have not seen any commensurate upwards adjustments and labour unrest has become more rampant than ever.

These factors will intern drive away both local and international investment, increase unemployment and cause insecurity in the country.

Ghanaians deserve leadership with creativity and innovation. It is clear that President Mahama's ideas can not lead to superior programs to those already being experienced to reduce the plight of the people.

The New Patriotic Party has men and women with leadership qualities who can be trusted to search continually for innovative ideas and programs that are required for the country to progress.

The 2016 elections is an opportunity for all Ghanaians irrespective of social and economic standing, ethnic background, political persuasion, youthfulness or otherwise to cast a vote of destiny, to protect the votes cast and ensure that the governance of the country is given to people who have a track record and experienced in the management of the economic fortunes of the country for the benefit of all.

It has become evident that President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC ministers and advisers lack the core competence and tenacity of purpose to institute requisite measures, programmes and antidotes to arrest the plight of Ghanaian, a result of their self inflicted mismanagement of the country's resources.

The NDC's lack of foresight and lack of humility to accept and access the competencies of other members of the society who possess the requisite knowledge, experience and good will in the development of the country is a contributory factor in their poor performance of our economy and its attendant ramifications.

The people of Ghana deserve better than we are being served, the New Patriotic Party is the answer to resolving the economic factors militating the plight of Ghanaians.

Fred Amankwah -Sarfo
(024 425 5525).