The government has met the leadership of some trade groups and transport operators in what is the first of a series of engagements with key sector players within the Ghanaian economy.
The three-hour engagement session took place in Accra on Monday (June 27) and provides the government with an opportunity to assess the impact of the economic mitigation measures it announced in March of this year.
Present at the engagement was the senior advisor to the President, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the leadership of various trade groups, market queens and transport operators.
The traders during the session attributed the high price of food commodities currently being experienced in Ghana’s market places to the increase in fuel prices, high cost of value chain activities and the seasonality of food products.
They said the high cost of haulage of food commodities from the farm gates to market centers significantly influences prices of food products in the market, calling on the government to consider a reduction in fuel prices.
Speaking specifically on interventions in the sector, Dr Akoto said that though the government on its part is doing all it can to address these concerns, the traders should also see to it that food items in the market are not overpriced.
High fuel prices
The transport operators also bemoaned the unfavourable increase in ex-pump prices of petrol and diesel, the high cost of spare parts, and its associated impact on their transport businesses. The group acknowledged that the burden would have been much more harsh had government in the past month not scrapped some levies in the fuel price build up.
However, they appealed to the government to further scrap some taxes on petroleum products to cushion the burden on consumers and enable them sustain their businesses.
Oppong Nkrumah commended the groups for the views expressed and noted that, they were all geared towards helping the government address the rising food and fuel prices in the country.
He gave them the assurance that the government will take the necessary actions to lessen the burden on Ghanaians as reports will be conveyed to cabinet for the necessary action.
Source: Daily Mail GH
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