Fuel Subsidies Inflict Damage On Ghanaians � Fifi Kwetey

The Minister of State-designate at the Presidency in charge of Financial and Allied institutions, Fiifi Kwettey has noted that the continuous payments of fuel subsidies is �inflicting far more damage on the people.�

�We must have the courage to once and for all deal with this fuel subsidy because the subsidy thing has almost become an ostrich; it�s almost as if we are pretending the problem is not there but the problem is there. We are pretending somehow by continuing to allow subsidies.�

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on Monday called on government to remove subsidies on fuel because it is not sustainable due to the current demand on the market.

Answering a question on subsidies during his vetting by the Appointments Committee, Mr. Kwettey mentioned that the payment of the fuel subsidies does not impact positively on the poor and the matter should be tackled head on.

�What is we are doing is temporarily creating the impression that we are cushioning you in terms of how much you are spending at the pump, how much fuel you are having to buy and so on.�

He revealed that government has to �look for money to do, sometimes we have to borrow, sometimes we have to get Bank of Ghana to Finance and it affects us in many ways; it causes inflation and that inflation affects prices, it affects income of workers�it prevents us from using some of these critical subsidies for critical things that actually affect the poor.�

Source: citifmonline.com