Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has berated and lampooned politicians and those who portend that hardship in the country begun only just recently.
According to him, the trend is not a recent phenomenon and politicians must depart from painting such a picture, explaining that the issue is being exaggerated.
His comments come on the back of assertions by sections of the Ghanaian public, particularly, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), after the mid year budget review, suggesting that hardship in the country was on an all-time-high.
Mr. Pratt averred that “Ghana’s hardship started a long time ago. I remember in 2000, inflation went up to 45%, money supply went up to 50%.’’
He added further that “In 1985 when we were under the structural adjustment programme, about 3,000 workers were laid off. Petrol has always been increased consistently from the 1970 till now, so the hardships have always been there,” he stated on Accra based Peace FM.
The veteran journalist is impressing upon politicians to be candid, truthful and transparent with the citizenry, in order that they are not taken aback when there are increases in the prices of commodities.
“What surprises people is that when a political party wants to come to power they speak as if there is no difficulty and they can take away all the hardships in a few years of governance. They always say they will reduce petrol and electricity prices but the prices always go up, that is what is worrying the people’’ Mr. Pratt further noted.
