The “high fuel prices” and “rising cost of living” currently being experienced by Ghanaians are not a “Ghanaian phenomenon”, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, has observed.
“They are the order of the day across the globe, unfortunately”, he told journalists at a briefing.
Mr Arhin said, “just as every country is confronted with these challenges – difficult, if I may say, largely as a result of the impact of COVID-19 – Ghana, under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is making every effort through the Ghana CARES Obaatanpa programme to alleviate the hardships brought forth by the pandemic”.
Now, he noted, “it is important to say that the Akufo-Addo government will continue to work for the development of Ghana and help improve the living standards of all Ghanaians”.
He said “far from” claims that the government is out of touch with the suffering of the people, “this government is highly focused on delivering its mandate”.
Fuel prices have been rising steadily, with a litre of petrol now selling at GHS6.9.
This has had a cascading effect on the price of items on the market.
Commercial driver unions recently threatened to ground their vehicles if the government did not scrap or reduce some of the 18 different taxes and levies imposed on petroleum products.