President Mahama Must Be Sensitive to Plight of Ghanaians

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• Dziko Kwame 12 years ago

  Efo Dan
  
  Really I thought these huge increases in petroleum products ended in Feb 2005, when Pres K4's Government tripled the price so as to ENTIRELY remove any Governmental subsidies.
  
  Little increases over a few cents c ...
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  Efo Dan
  
  Really I thought these huge increases in petroleum products ended in Feb 2005, when Pres K4's Government tripled the price so as to ENTIRELY remove any Governmental subsidies.
  
  Little increases over a few cents could be understood, but a major increase makes me worry what the 2005 February extra-heavy increase actually achieved.
  
  Any idea?
  
  Long live Ghana

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• THOSE WHO HAILED MAHAMA 12 years ago

  Those who hailed mahama, now eat his poison. At least those who didn't approved of him knew that he was going to do this so they were prepared.

  Those who hailed mahama, now eat his poison. At least those who didn't approved of him knew that he was going to do this so they were prepared.

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• OBIBA-JUDAS 12 years ago

  TO BE SURE NDC ARE NOT COMPETENT TO RULE GHANAGHANA NEED GOOD LEADERS.

  TO BE SURE NDC ARE NOT COMPETENT TO RULE GHANAGHANA NEED GOOD LEADERS.

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• Sani 12 years ago

  Yes, the impact of the oil increases on the ordinary Ghanaian can be terrible. But your suggested alternatives will not be sufficient to generate the budget revenue that the increase in oil prices will bring. I agree that pa ...
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  Yes, the impact of the oil increases on the ordinary Ghanaian can be terrible. But your suggested alternatives will not be sufficient to generate the budget revenue that the increase in oil prices will bring. I agree that parliamentary salaries should be seen over and reduced at the same time as the oil subsidies are removed or reduced. Then, also, there is absolutely no need to give so much to parliamentarians by way of car and housing allowances. Parliamentarians and other government officials can be given transport and housing allowances at the rate of senior civil servants but the car loans should be removed. Any parliamentarian who wants a car can take a commercial loan from the banks even if he needs to car to travel to his constituents and to parliament. He has an allowance for that already - no need for a car loan. (These loans are never paid back to the state. Commercial banks will make sure you pay).
  
  It will also be good if we know exactly how much oil we are pumping out and exporting and our oil revenues. It seems these are figures that are not well known to all Ghanaians. I suspect, however, that we are not earning much from oil and we are not exporting much either. Nigeria, the continent's biggest producer, pumps out 3 million barrels a day. Angola does 2 million, Algeria - 1.2. Even Sudan does 500,000 a day. These are the levels that can have significant impacts on the economies of the respective countries with Angola, perhaps, enjoying the greatest per capita dividend since their population is still under 20 million. I don't think Ghana's output is anywhere near these figures. I doubt if we produce half a million barrels a day. Besides, we've not been doing this for long. We are just not producing enough oil to sustain the present levels of subsidy.
  
  I think we must close our eyes, swallow hard, and take the oil price increases. I don't know if the present increases remove all the subsidy. If not, then we may have to increase again in the near future.
  
  The crucial question will be what govt does with the income generated by the removal of the subsidies. (I am surprised it is only 2.4 billion ghc, per your article). This is where prioritization comes in. The money saved must be used well and must be seen to be used well. At the same time, the perks politicians enjoy must also be cut down considerably including in the Presidential office.
  
  The oil price increases must, unfortunately, stay.

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