Kwesi Pratt: There has never been subsidy on petroleum products

The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jr. has warned the government to be careful with the argument of technocrats being made on petroleum subsidies, which is not based on reality.

Speaking as a panelist on Peace FM’s “kokrokoo” programme Tuesday morning, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. clearly stated that there has never being subsidy on Petroleum products as being depicted by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

He was reacting to a statement by the Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Alex Mould, stating that government cannot continue subsidizing fuel prices for Ghanaians due to the huge sum of money owned the NPA.

According to Kwesi Pratt, those people calling for the removal of subsidies are only throwing dust into the eyes of Ghanaians, because there has never been a subsidy on petroleum products.

He beliefs most of these technocrats are people without conviction and principles because he (Kwesi Pratt) together with them, were saying exactly the opposite of what they are preaching now, twenty years ago.

He thinks they (technocrats) are doing a “profit and loss mathematics with the issue” instead of being sensitive to the plight of Ghanaians.

The founding member of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), expressed shock at the statement of the technocrats and described them as being “too technocratic and not taking into account the socio-political consequences” of what they say.

He was certain that, there is no subsidy and there has never been one, so any move in this regard would be nothing but an increment in disguise.

He therefore went on to state that; “it would be totally reckless to increase fuel prices at this time.”

“I was very happy that the Mills administration did not increase fuel prices for a long time, however, not increasing the prices alone does not solve the problem,” he added.

Hinting of an exposé on the Tema Oil Refinery, the Socialist Forum member said he is soon going to reveal how Ghana is losing $300,000 per day.