Vice President meets stakeholders on petrol increases

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday met major stakeholders to address some of the reactions that came out after the National Petroleum Authority announced the 30 per cent increment in the prices of petroleum products.

The meeting which engaged members of the Trades Union Congress, Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Employers Association behind close doors would, among other things, draw up modalities that would bring about relief in their business operations. The meeting would also help to draw up strategies that would enable the NPA to regularly review petroleum prices to prevent huge increments in future.

Vice President Mahama in an address before the close-door meeting, said government was concerned with the reactions of the public and the business community, hence the meeting to ensure that similar mistakes were not repeated in future dealings.

"We understand the plight of Ghanaians and that is why I have convened this meeting to ensure that things are ironed out for the better" Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, said the 30 per cent increment had affected the purchasing power of Ghanaians, affected industry and business which were also having rippling effects on all sectors of life in the country.

He said the increment was likely to create labour problems as industries were also likely to lay off some workers as a result of high cost of production. Nana Owusu Afari, President of the Association of Ghana Industries, called on the NPA to always hold consultations before releasing new fuel prices as that could water-down the tension that normally arose from such price increases.