A former Deputy Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament for Adanse Asokwa, K.T Hammond has described the increment in petroleum products prices as immoral and criminal.
Speaking Monday on Adom Fm/ Asempa fm Burning Issues program with Afia Pokua, the Asokwa MP aid there is no morality in compelling Ghanaians to pay for government’s incompetence and mismanagement of the economy.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on Sunday announced a 23 percent increment in the price of petrol, 22 percent increase in diesel price and 23.75 percent on kerosene price.
They attributed the price increase to the falling cedi rate against the dollar, and also to the removal of subsidies on fuel.
The Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU) has since announced a 15 percent increment in transport fares following the increase in petroleum products.
The Asokwa MP said the fall of the cedi was due to mismanagement of the economy, saying “no NPP government whether now or in the future will allow this level of depreciation in the cedi”
He said even in 2008 when crude oil used to be sold for $147, the then NPP government managed to sell it for less, but the NDC government lacks the competence to arrest the falling cedi so they are passing on the cost to poor Ghanaians.
Mr. Hammond said what has worsen the situation is the unscrupulous payment of judgment debt to some undeserved persons.
He said the NDC government now is in the better position to fix the economy because they have several advantages such as the high world market price of cocoa and gold, unlike in 2008, when the NPP government had the worse situation but did not allow things to go “this bad”.
He assured Ghanaians that if the NPP is voted into power in 2016, they will fix the challenged created under the current NDC government.
