The Executive Director at the Institute for Energy Policies and Research, Kwadwo Poku, does not believe the government should be pressured to intervene in the cost of fuel.
Speaking on The Big Issue, he stressed that “we are not a socialist country.”
“Have you seen the private sector employers increasing salaries for their workers? They are not. So why are we all now looking at government,” Mr. Poku asked on The Big Issue.
“Why are we all blaming the government for the hardship and the private sector is not being blamed,” he added.
Though the government has championed public interventions like the Free Secondary Education Policy or subsidised fertilisers for farmers, Mr. Poku said it was no justification for the demand towards the state.
“It doesn’t make it right for us to keep blaming the government for things it is not should not be blamed for,” he added.
The government has over the years been urged to remove taxes and margins on petroleum products which amount to over GH¢2, to cushion fuel consumers, as quoted by Citinewsroom.com.
Globally, the war in Ukraine has driven fuel prices upwards all year.
The increases in fuel prices are expected to increase into 2023 due to disruptions to Russian oil supplies and as refineries struggle to meet demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Poku argued that Ghana was a victim of a global problem, like other countries.
“Ghana has a peculiar situation. The only small peculiar situation is the FX. Today, if you look at the price at the pump, the FX makes up about 25 percent as of the last analysis.”
