FRONT PAGE STORY (DAILY GRAPHIC)
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Fauziatu Adam
THE Minority in Parliament has chastised the government for failing to keep its 2008 campaign promise and its manifesto declaration of “drastically” reducing petroleum prices if voted into power.
Reacting to the recent hikes in the prices of petroleum products, the Minority reminded Ghanaians that the NDC had cumulatively increased the prices of petroleum products by 70 per cent since it assumed office, even though the global price of crude oil had not risen more than 50 per cent.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Minority Spokesperson on Energy, Mr Joseph Kofi Addah, said the NDC had, over the past two years, not demonstrated to Ghanaians that it had ideas to help the growth of the country.
He compared the situation now to the past administration and explained that former President John Agyekum Kufuor had resolved to pass on any further price increases to consumers if the world price of crude oil were to go beyond $120 per barrel.
“Today, with the world price of oil only in the $80 per barrel range, the NDC administration is quick to point to global increases in petroleum prices as one of the reasons for this increase,” he stated.
Touching on hedging, Mr Addah said by October 2010 the NDC government had said it had dealt with the problems concerning crude oil purchases to protect Ghanaians from increases in the global price of crude oil.
“As we speak, however, we do not know how Ghana has fared in the venture. If Ghanaians were, indeed, protected against any further price increases through this hedging, then why are we soon having to pay higher prices because of global price increases when, indeed, such has not been near 30 per cent?” he questioned.
He said into the third year of the NDC administration, Ghanaians could not see any creative policy initiative that sought to add value to what had been left by the NPP administration.
He explained that the NDC, on the one hand, had continued the policies and programmes of the NPP, while, on the other, it had worsened the situation of hardships rooted in high taxes and increased prices of commodities such as petroleum products, as well as vital services such as utilities.
On issues concerning the TOR debt, Mr Addah charged the government to account accurately to Ghanaians.
He said the government gave eight conflicting figures on the TOR debt in 2009 and 2010, explaining that that was inefficiency on the part of the government to get the right figure to justify the TOR debt.
He recalled the open attacks on the NPP administration by the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) when petroleum prices were increased and accused the CJA of siding with the government because of its silence over the recent increase in petroleum prices.
Mr Addah urged Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be deceived again when the time came for them to decide on who they wanted to govern the country.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Fauziatu Adam
THE Minority in Parliament has chastised the government for failing to keep its 2008 campaign promise and its manifesto declaration of “drastically” reducing petroleum prices if voted into power.
Reacting to the recent hikes in the prices of petroleum products, the Minority reminded Ghanaians that the NDC had cumulatively increased the prices of petroleum products by 70 per cent since it assumed office, even though the global price of crude oil had not risen more than 50 per cent.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Minority Spokesperson on Energy, Mr Joseph Kofi Addah, said the NDC had, over the past two years, not demonstrated to Ghanaians that it had ideas to help the growth of the country.
He compared the situation now to the past administration and explained that former President John Agyekum Kufuor had resolved to pass on any further price increases to consumers if the world price of crude oil were to go beyond $120 per barrel.
“Today, with the world price of oil only in the $80 per barrel range, the NDC administration is quick to point to global increases in petroleum prices as one of the reasons for this increase,” he stated.
Touching on hedging, Mr Addah said by October 2010 the NDC government had said it had dealt with the problems concerning crude oil purchases to protect Ghanaians from increases in the global price of crude oil.
“As we speak, however, we do not know how Ghana has fared in the venture. If Ghanaians were, indeed, protected against any further price increases through this hedging, then why are we soon having to pay higher prices because of global price increases when, indeed, such has not been near 30 per cent?” he questioned.
He said into the third year of the NDC administration, Ghanaians could not see any creative policy initiative that sought to add value to what had been left by the NPP administration.
He explained that the NDC, on the one hand, had continued the policies and programmes of the NPP, while, on the other, it had worsened the situation of hardships rooted in high taxes and increased prices of commodities such as petroleum products, as well as vital services such as utilities.
On issues concerning the TOR debt, Mr Addah charged the government to account accurately to Ghanaians.
He said the government gave eight conflicting figures on the TOR debt in 2009 and 2010, explaining that that was inefficiency on the part of the government to get the right figure to justify the TOR debt.
He recalled the open attacks on the NPP administration by the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) when petroleum prices were increased and accused the CJA of siding with the government because of its silence over the recent increase in petroleum prices.
Mr Addah urged Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be deceived again when the time came for them to decide on who they wanted to govern the country.
