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Front Page
GOVT SCRUTINIZED
THURSDAY, 24TH MARCH, 2005 -- The New Patriotic Party administration yesterday came under serious scrutiny when President Kufuor faced a cross-section of the people to answer questions at the People’s Assembly in Accra. The President, ably supported by his ministers, answered questions on decongestion and sanitation in Accra, high import duties, support for the private sector and the fuel prices.
There were also questions on the educational sector, health and many other areas. Some of the male questioners were so eager to ask their questions that even when requested to give the women a chance, one bluntly refused.
In an answer to a question on the decongestion exercise in Accra, President Kufuor said he was holding discussions with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to hasten efforts to relocate the hawkers, who were displaced by the exercise.
He appealed to all and sundry to co-operate with the city authority to help tackle the problems confronting it. In response to a contribution by a member of the public, advocating support for Apostle Kwadwo Safo, founder and leader of the Kristo Asafo Church in Ghana, President Kufuor said he admired the man’s business exploits and wished government could be involved in his business ventures.
He said, however, that the Government had made clear its intention not to go into business “but to create the enabling environment for private businesses to flourish in Ghana”. On high import tariffs and the general business environment at the Tema Harbour, President Kufuor said there was more discipline at the port now than previously, and those who had been evading duties were now being made to pay.
Giving further explanation on penalties imposed on overaged vehicles cleared at the ports, the former finance minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, said that previously such vehicles were seized and sent to the smelter, “but we realised that government was making losses on every vehicle smelted so we abandoned that idea.”
“The current imposition of the punitive penalties on the overaged vehicles is to discourage people from bringing such vehicles into the country,” said Mr Osafo-Maafo, now minister for education and sports.
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