GRi Business, Economics & Finance 17 –
01 - 2003
It urged the government to
listen to calls by political parties and civil society against any possible
increase without corresponding salary adjustments. "We wish to advise the
New Patriotic Party (NPP) government that the recipe that we have learnt it is
determined to implement - steep increases in petroleum prices, an increase in
the Value Added Tax rate, increases in electricity and water tariffs, a wage freeze,
abolition of extra duty allowances and a freeze on non-oil related exchange -
is a recipe to economic unrest and social chaos...," Dr Nii Josiah-Aryeh, NDC General
Secretary, stated at a press
conference in
Dr Josiah-Aryeh, flanked by the
Professor John Evans Atta Mills, former Vice President and Presidential
Flagbearer of the party, and other national executives of the party, said the
proposed wage freeze, abolition of extra-duty allowances and freeze on non-oil
related foreign exchange would compound the condition of ordinarily persons.
He said,
the political tension had been fueled by
"government propagandists" who are bent on putting a spin on issues
concerning the petroleum prices. "We know that the NPP government is determined
to increase petroleum prices, no matter what. We also know that government is
bent on doing this completely unmindful of the depth of public feeling and
public opinion on the matter, hence the caution," Dr Josiah-Aryeh stated.
He noted that any increases in
petroleum prices now would worsen the plight of the average Ghanaian worker. The
NDC General-Secretary reminded the government of a similar situation in 1995,
stressing, "the economic plight facing the
ordinary Ghanaian is similar to, if not worse than, those conditions that
existed in the country at the time of the infamous Kume
Preko demonstration."
"The NPP set a precedence in November 1999 when it led other opposition parties
in the "Ya Bre"
demonstration against fuel price increases, utility tariffs adjustment and
increases in the VAT rate.
"The NPP government must
apply the same principles they made that any such increases will be unbearable
and unaffordable for the Ghanaian masses as the plight of ordinary citizens
have not improved under its administration."
He said whether the demonstration
was justifiable or not the reality today is that Ghanaians could not cope with
the increases being proposed, stressing, "government
must be careful not to get carried away by its own propaganda".
The NDC also advised the
government to adopt a by-partisan approach to the economic crisis by creating
conditions for an inter-party approach "instead of the propagandists'
tactics of blaming the past government over the energy crisis".
GRi.../
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Akim Oda
(Eastern Region) 17 January 2003- A Government's Spokesman, Nana Ohene Ntow, has stated that the
NPP, while in opposition, opposed the former governments' attempt to increase
the price of petroleum products "due to the inability of the NDC to
explain to the people the realities on the ground."
He said the Kufuor
administration would continue to practice an "open administration" to
explain issues to Ghanaians before implementing its policies, adding that the
fuel price increase is inevitable.
Nana Ohene
Ntow who was speaking at the Birim
South People's Assembly held at Akim Oda on Wednesday, asked filling station managers to guard against
hoarding of petrol so as not to create unnecessary panic among motorists and travelers.
The Eastern Regional Minister,
Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, mentioned infrastructure, modernisation of agriculture,
education and health as the priority of areas of the government.
He said the government was
committed to rehabilitating some major roads in the country such as the Accra-Aflao, Accra-Kumasi and Akim Oda-Nkawkaw trunk roads.
On the mass cocoa spraying
exercise, Dr Osafo-Mensah stated that the government would not give the
insecticide to individual farmers to spray their farms as been suggested in
some quarters.
This, he explained, is to ensure
that none of the insecticide was diverted to other sources and also to ensure
that all cocoa farms were sprayed to help boost the country's cocoa production.
He said the
"cash-and-carry" policy was being replaced "methodically" with
the health insurance policy, but cautioned however, that "the idea does not
mean free medical services to the people."
The District Chief Executive, Mr
Yaw Amprofi, noted that the government's
determination to provide vehicles to the police to assist them on patrol duties
had led to the reduction of crime waves.
He appealed to Ghanaians to be
patient with the government in its efforts to salvage the economy, saying
"it takes time to repair something which has been destroyed over the
years."
GRi.../
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Currency Buying Selling
U.S. Dollar 8,314.09 cedis
8,524.45 cedis
Pound
Swiss Franc 6,015.92 6,164.38
Canadian Dollar 5,416.40 5,550.55
Danish Kroner 1,182.90 1,212.16
Japanese Yen
70.48 72.23
South African
Euro 8,791.61 9,012.14
CFA Franc 13.40 13.74
GRi.../
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