Premix fuel subsidy will continue – Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has said despite the deregulation of petroleum products, the Government would continue to subsidise premix fuel for fishermen.

Deregulation is explained as the reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry, usually done to create more competition within the industry.

Thus the Government has stopped subsidising petroleum products through the introduction of the policy, which allows petroleum companies to sell their products without any government interference.

However, the President said, the Government continued to subsidise premix fuel by 50 per cent.

This decision, according to him, was to ensure that fishermen carried out their expeditions without difficulties.

The President gave the assurance at Elmina, last week, where he met with fishermen along the coast of the Central Region.

President Mahama used the occasion, which was his third time visit to the town since he became the president in 2012, to seek for the support of fishermen in the Region, as well as their prayers.

He said fishermen across the country played an important role in the history of the NDC’s winning of the 2008 general election.

As a result of this, Mr. Mahama stated that the late President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, gave priority attention to issues concerning fisher folks.

His administration, he said, would, therefore, ensure that the Central Region in general, and the fisher folks in particular, continued to benefit from the good plans their late son had for them.

President Mahama said in his bid to support the fishing industry towards a safe storage of fish, especially during bumper harvest, a modern fish processing plant was being built at Elmina.

He stated that the project was about 80 percent complete and assured the fisher folks that cold stores would be built at Prampram, Nyanyanano and Kormantse.

He said others would be built at Shama, Sekondi-Takoradi and Half Assini in the Western Region for safe keeping of fish.

Mr. Mahama said plans were also underway to import 3000 Yamaha outboard motors from Japan for fishermen across the country.

Already, a total of 1000 outboard motors had been distributed to some fishermen, he said, and promised that more would be distributed soon.

The Government has subsidised the motors by 30 per cent and beneficiaries are required to pay in installment.

The Omanhene of the Edina Traditional Area, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI, expressed his appreciation to the President for the infrastructural development the Municipality had enjoyed under his government.