Is Prez Kuffour’s economic mitigation package too little too late
May 21, 2008
President Kuffour would tomorrow announce an economic mitigation package which is expected to coushin Ghanaians against the rising prices of food, crude oil and other basic needs. Sources close to the Presidency say the President would announce tax cuts on petroleum products as well as subsidies for food items including fish and maize.
Many Pro government newspapers report that the President would make these interventions known in a televised national address on Thursday night.
Critics of government say the interventions are long overdue and may even be a panicky response by government to preserve its Political goodwill ahead of the December Polls.
Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Wednesday former NDC energy minister Ato Awhoi explained that government missed the opportunity to save the situation viably many months ago. He said the steps to be announced by the Presidency may not bring the nation as much net gain as it would have, if government had listened to critic promptings months ago.
Do you think the interventions are too little too late?
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24 Responses to “Is Prez Kuffour’s economic mitigation package too little too late”
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I think it would bring some relief to Ghanaians. The government should rather be praised for listening.
I think this is a case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. If the govt doesn’t step in, people will complain (like we are doing now) that they don’t care about our woes. If they step in to institute economic relief measures, then we say that it’s either too late or that they are doing it for cheap political gain. Whatever the reason that the govt is doing this, the fact remains that we MUST have an economic policy which will in the long run lead to better conditions for ALL Ghanaians. Sometimes the govt of the day may have to deviate from the policy to implement stopgap measures like this one, but they better get back on track - and soon. So the more important question (I think) is, what is the govt’s long term economic policy?
What is Ato Ahwoi talking about ? Is he talking from experience : Is it because a similar economic mitigation that He and his NDC-liars, administered on Ghanaians in 1999-2000 failed woefully and plunged Ghana into a HIPIC status ? Is it a typical ghanaian adage ‘When someone has been bitten by a snake before,he/she runs for cover when even he/she sees an earthworm’ (paraphrase). The government’s mitigation plan will work like a miracle or simply call it magic to alleviate the temporary hardship brought on Ghanaians by external shocks or conditions beyond the Government’s control. This is a good government that has been able to hold-on for such a long time despite the onslought of external economic tsaunamis and waves that keep hitting her from all directions. This government has been able to hold on for such a long time because of the prudent micro and macro economic parameters they have put in place. It is only the big-mouth and skin-pain supporters of the NDC that are really suffering, because they are lazy, have refuse to see the economic gains the government have made and take advantage of it. NDC and her blind supporters can continue to be bitter and bad-mouthed the government but the economy will continue to improve for ghana and the wise will take advantage of it.
this is definately a wellcome news all governemnts in the world are responding to the call of their citizens and Ghana’s case is not an exception. Besides, we should all wait for the president to announced the package before commenting on it.
this is political gimig, why now? most people were asking this gov. to wave off some of the taxes on petro since 2 year ago but they refused to listen to the voice of the people. whether the president even sell petro free or not we whould vote them out come dec 7th
cosmos tadi
i warn politicians on the consequencies of the increasing food pricese during “joy fm’s sms road show” earlier on legon campus but the minister of agric said we should not worry. alas the problem has caught up with us.” a stitch in time saves nine”
When people think they are wise and knowledgeable and do not put these attributes to the benefit of the people who elected them to serve them, then, they are throwing these attributes to the “DOGS”. How on earth could people be so myopic to criticize blindly when deep in the heart of their hearts they know what the opponent is doing is good. i find it rather ridiculous to hear the NDC saying that it is out of political expediency that the government is going to take this step to alleviate or half the sufferings of the masses. yes they want us to die for them to have their field-day by accusing the government to be insensitive to the plight of the people. they tried it, it failed, and they know the NPP can do it so they are worried. This global situation have given credence to opposition parties world wide to hammer sitting governments. i dare say that we should thank God it is the NPP that is in the seat of government as we are faced with these challenges, for , if it were the NDC, the whole nation could have been plunged into chaos. IT IS BETTER TOO LATE THAN NEVER. Let this sink into the hearts and minds of all Ghanains. Go on, NPP, go on with whatever you have to ameliorate the situation. God have mercy on us all.
Kojo, we must commend the president for coming out with the so-called package. It was long overdue. If the government had listened to the CJA and the NDC long ago we would have been better of now. However I must commend the Prez. he is a strong willed man.
Kojo, sometimes it marvels me how Ghanaians can talk so much unnecessarily.We seek solutions to problems as and when it pops up.If the father of the nation is helping us out of this economic doldrum why do we cruelly dismiss it as a mere political gimmick? If we frustrate him and he becomes insensitive to our plight ,will we then blame him? We should change our attitude!!!
Are we not running ahead of ourselves here?? how can we determine that an economic package that is yet to be announced is TOO LITTLe too late ?? At best i think we can only consider the second part which is the timing of the intervention. Why has it taken this long for the government to come to such a conclusion and certainly, for how long can it be sustained??
For me, I would like to see a more detailed and informed package being announced. It should contain how many people will the package help and the extent of help and also an explanation of what is happening for the ordinary Ghanaian to be able to appreciate the situation and the package better.
Have a good day, Kojo.
And to add to my comment, how do we establish lateness in this instance?? Do we see any signs the economic difficulties will be ending soon??? I don’t think we are in a position to say if this will end any time soon.
Well Kojo, i think the government is doing the right thing. We voted for this team of people to come and look at the options of growth for our country and implement them. They are doing just that. Remember this happening is a global Phenomenon soo please let’s give them the support needed.
Its time politicians on the other side, should consider the plight of the suffering Ghanaian. Everything in Ghana easily takes political dimension and that is a betrayal of political immaturity. I dont see anything wrong with the president cushion the suffering citizen. Its done every where, the UK US to mention a few. What am realising is some politicians get scared when the ordinary Ghanaian is benefiting or being alleviated, YET they say they care about the Ghanaian. Our prayers is that this unfavourable global indicators subside and the president mitigation strategies/measures are sustainable. Go on Prez, for the sake of the suffering citizen.
I think is too late for any mitigation, since we are in election year. The president’s decision could have carried more weight during the time the CJA went on demonstration demanding the government to do something about our current situation now even if he should give us free Rice, Petrol and even Asamoah Boateng’s KoKonte it would not solve the current hardship. It is rather unfortunate that the NPP government which we all thought could have saved us has rather broght us down. Now the Economy is Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
We are tired of their macro Economy Anthem……. Thanks Kojo and I hope you will read my view on air……
I told you so Kojo, my wife was so sad yesterday.
When it came to penalty I knew they have won in advance. The blues need a good keeper.
It was God destiny
The government,s economic mitigation package is just too little too late.
Kojo, were we all not in this country when the N.D.C.tried ssomething like that
and they failed in2000?This is reminiscent of the story of the English King Henut who sought to prove how powerful he was by trying to turnthe sea away and he lost.It is asthough the gov,t has lost focus and is trying to clutch to a straw as a drowning man they have already drowned.Not even God can save them now.
Hi Kojo,
Sorry to be flooding your blog with my comments.
Having listened to The President, outline his so-called “economic mitigation package” for Ghanaians, I am not too disappointed and I am not over the moon too for reasons I will point to in subsequent paragraphs.
I have a couple of points to submit.
The first is whether the intended beneficiaries of these reforms, the ordinary people of Ghana, will really experience fully the benefits of the package. From the package, producers and suppliers will have to pass on the benefits of these measures down to the people in the form of reduced, or at worse stabilised prices. My problem here is whether they will indeed pass on these benefits in the form of reduced transport fares and food prices for example, and how will the government monitor and therefore ensure that this is so.
Two, the package contains a number of directives to Ministries, Departments and Agencies to carry out some specific duties, intended to amelioriate the effects of the situation the country finds its self in. For example, the Ministry of Agriculture has been direct to subsidise the cost of tractors to farmers and the Millenium Development Authority has also been directed to “accelerate the pace of implementation of the MCA Programmes”. How fast can the benefits of these directives be realised?
This leads me to my third issue, Kojo. What time frame are we expected to see the benefits and for how long will these “benefits” be around and linked to this is what will the government have to see for these measures to be withdrawn??
Again, I think the “Hows” of these measures are not very clear. Maybe it was not possible for the President, with the constraint of time and space, to tell us how each of these measures will be carried out in detail and how these measures will translate into benefits for the ordinary Ghanaian. But I still think a little bit of detail could have done us some good. For example, “support for production cost of electricity” could have been fleshed out a bit as regards which form it will take and where the money will come from.
Lastly, I find it quite interesting to note how the President makes a link between the impending oil exploitation and the economic difficulties we are facing as a country. Is it an indication of how the government intends to put to use the revenue from the oil exploitation?
Have a good day, Kojo and thanks for the platform!
You are blessed and highly favoured!!
Regards,
ODASANI
OSEEEYYYY! MAN “U”!!!
kojo!
Ghanaians, and to a larger extent the humans that we are, we always have opposing sides on any issue raised by the incumbent, whether the Prez came in early with the package or not i don’t think it matters, what i’m looking at is that, does the package really suffice the situation at hand?
we often leave the substance of all situations at hand and rather focus on semantics. i would have thought the prez could have reduced some taxes on the petroleum products, as it is now, well it might help ba i’m not sure if the help is going to be any significant but at least, what matters to me is they tried to do something about the situation.
any party that come after the npp, be it ndc, pnc or cpp will also have their own peculiar problems with the economy and how they handle it is a matter of their own choice, in business u either win or lose ba u just must learn from ur losses, Ghana should learn from our losses, we should know by now that the prez and his team are a competent group and they have their management approach, they would not adopt just any style cos someone thinks it’s the best and so will any other party do.
well masa, have a blessed day and let’s pray and hope Ghana wins in this increasing economic hardships.
Kojo, i think the president is doing a very good job.and therefore it does not matter if it’s too late or small.
Hi, I believe these measures are in place b’cos of the rising fuel and food prices, please, lets learn to be objective and talk in context and lets behave globally than always being so Ghanaian, talking concisely that takes us nowhere….. lets learn. Have you heard about that small boy Mordechai, look at what he is thinking at his age and we adult look at us……please lets have a paradigm shift. thanks
firstly, please check the spellings in the stories published above. secondly, trying to put in this package in the latter stages in the an election year can be seen as a panic move to help the incoming flagbearer of the NPP gain a section of the crowd who were willing to vote against the president’s party but are now confused as to who to vote for because whatever they were crying for has been seen to.
i c annot praise this government becasue they want ghanaians to believe that it’s a listening government but the question is, did they have to wait until the election year to listen? couldn’t they have listened even somewhere last year? do we have to cry out before the government realises that things have gotten hard for the common man?
this package meant to relieve us of our troubles is for a short period so people of ghana, no matter your political affiliation, think well and don’t look in the past but into the future for a better and brighter ghana.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE
Kojo, I don’t want to sound condescending, however, I am amazed by the shallowness of the arguments being put out there by the government spokespersons. Government cannot preach moral virtues and enjoin earth vices. How could Politicians draw free fuel every day from the filling stations around the country with coupons and expect the suffering masses to applaud this so-called mitigation? What is the essence of having a government if they cannot think outside the box and put together policies and measures that will help make life bearable for the ordinary man. The measures announced by the president is too little too late. They should consider the Taxes on the petroleum products. Lets act as smart beings and not partisan followers who constantly see nothing bad with bad decisions. The politics of see, hear and speak no evil must stop for the greater good of our nation.
WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABT AM NOT A PESSIMIST BUT IT SHALL NOT WORK