The United Kingdom & Ireland Secretariat of the Convention People’s Party has lambasted the ruling government over the recent increases in the prices of petroleum products.

In a statement the party said by increasing the prices in these difficult times that Ghanaians find themselves only proves that the government was insensitive.

Read the full text:

Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Ghanaians , our beloved country has been plunged down a spiral of economic and personal hardship for eight long months with many more months of hardship ahead for the long suffering population of Ghana.

From a load management or load shedding schedule of 12 hours light-off every 5 days, to a 12 hour light-off every other day, the country is now facing a 15 hour lights off every other day.

There has been much suffering during that time – surgeries at hospitals conducted in fear of losing patients, household appliances are being destroyed daily due to voltage fluctuations, the use of candles in many homes has caused fires with loss of lives and property. Thousands have lost their jobs as many industries close or reduce capacity.

No Ghanaian would have imagined however that under such circumstances their government showing complete disregard for their plight would seek to compound their problems with increases in petroleum prices, electricity and water tariffs.
On fuel the new prices, petrol prices move from ¢8,202.54 per litre to ¢8,858.74, an 8% increase.

The price of kerosene used mainly by the poor majority in our country is going up from ¢6,603.38 per litre to ¢6,994.35.
The increases worsen the plight of ordinary Ghanaians as well as those who have been able to afford generators during this energy crisis.

On these increases many are asking why they are asked to pay more to cope with the energy crisis that they have not created whilst they are also being asked to pay more for electricity in return for less electricity or none, and why they still get higher water bills when their taps are dry for months on end.

In the interest of the long suffering millions of our citizens we would humbly remind the current government of our country that you are elected by the people to work for the welfare of the people. They elect you to find solutions to their problems.

They do not elect you to subject their lives to the dogma and vagaries of the fuel market or indeed any other market.

The insensitivity of the NPP government is unprecedented in our history and this from a government that has failed to act on repeated advice to avert the current crisis, a government that in almost 7 years in government has not added 1 MW of power to electricity supply.

The citizens of Ghana continue to pay a heavy price for NPP failure and inaction and are now facing the insensitivity of NPP dogma.

Forward Ever! Backward Never!