Arise Ghana protestors present petition to Finance Ministry, Parliament to tackle hardship

The Arise Ghana protestors have presented a petition to the Finance Ministry and Parliament demanding action to address the cost of living crisis and unpopular government policies.

The protestors in the petition called for the electronic transfer levy to be scrapped, interventions on petroleum price hikes and action on growing unemployment, among others.

It also cited concerns with the potential re-introduction of the Agyapa deal.

Receiving the petition at the Finance Ministry, a deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Opare, assured that the government was working to address some cost of living concerns.

Mrs. Osei-Opare also reiterated the government’s stance that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic had contributed to Ghana’s economic struggles.

She said the government had started meeting with stakeholders “to see how best we can address the economic situation that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the War Ukraine war.”

The deputy minister further assured that they were working to “make sure that as a government we will come out with policies and programmes that address the issues that have been raised here today.”

At the Parliament of Ghana, the petition was received by the Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu who said, “we have noted the concerns that you raised including matters relating to taxes, and reclassification of the Achimota forests.”

Currently, Ghana’s inflation has jumped to the highest levels in almost 20 years, with the prices of essential goods and services rising by almost 50 percent in some cases.

Annual inflation stood at 13.9 percent at the beginning of 2020, but has shot up to 27.6 percent in May.