General News of Tuesday, 22 February 2005
Source: Palaver
Again to quote the exact words of the IMF External Relations Department statement:
"The government's decision to leave petroleum prices unchanged ahead of the election in December 2004 creates a source of vulnerability for the budget, even though the authorities have taken adequate measures to address the anticipated costs of the resulting subsidies to petroleum producers, while protecting poverty-related expenditures. Nevertheless, it will be critically important for the authorities to follow through on the commitment to replace the current pricing regime with a new regime, which will absolve the government from making pricing decisions and to implement it, as announced, by February 15, 2005". (Extract from Ghana Palaver, Vol. 10 No. 75, Friday, July 16 - Monday, July 19, 2004 under the heading "HIPC COMPLETION POINT - THE UNTOLD STORY -Kufuor lies about US$1.5 million debt write-off -Petroleum prices to go up on February 15, 2005 -Water tariffs secretly increased")
"Secondly, the World Bank and the IMF conspired with the NPP Government to postpone an increase in the prices of petroleum products to February 15, 2005, in the face of a record high world price of crude oil of over US$50 per barrel in three decades, obviously in order that the fortunes of the NPP will not be adversely affected in the December 2004 elections.
In a statement most disingenuously insulting of Ghanaians, the IMF in its Press Release in July 2004 announcing Ghana's attainment of the HIPC Completion Point, stated as follows: --"
(Extract from Ghana Palaver, Vol. 10, No. 100, Tuesday, October 12 - Thursday, October 14, 2005, Front Page Comment under the heading "The Criminal Conspiracy against the People of Ghana.
WHAT PROFESSOR ATTA-MILLS SAID---
"Since the beginning of 2003, I have insisted that the petroleum price increases as well as increases in utility tariffs are too high. I have been accused of playing politics with the economy. So how genuine is the government's planned decision to reduce tariffs in this election year?
I will only tell Ghanaians: "beware of the NPP when they come bearing gifts". ---
We will take another look at the processes for the deregulation of the petroleum sector and make sure that Government does not abandon its responsibility of ensuring that this vital lubricant of the economic engine of state is not left to be determined solely by forces whose primary motivation is profit. Above all, we will review the hidden taxes in the price of petroleum products".
(Extract from Address by Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, NDC Flagbearer, on the Occasion of the NDC "Public Forum" on the theme: "The State of Our Nation: The Way Forward" held in Accra on Tuesday March 2, 2004)
WHAT THE NDC SAID---
"It is offensive and an insult to Ghanaians that in the face of excessive economic hardships, the Kufuor Government is telling us that water and electricity tariffs, rent and fuel prices did not come down during the years of the NDC. The NDC reminds the Kufuor government that while in opposition it campaigned against what it described then as the unbearable cost of living in the country. Its leaders including President Kufuor led "YABRE" demonstrations ostensibly to solidarise with Ghanaians who were in economic difficulties. The NPP in opposition advocated the theory of affordability when it came to electricity and water tariffs and fuel prices. Yet in the three years that it has been in power, the NPP has increased water and electricity tariffs by over 200% and petroleum prices by over 200%"
(Extract from NDC Press Release of 26th March 2004 signed by NDC Director of Communications, John Mahama)
"We will ensure the fixing of realistic and reasonable prices for petroleum products by reviewing the hidden taxes and levies in the prices which are more of revenue rising than cost recovery measures"
(Extract from the NDC 2004 Manifesto entitled "A Better Ghana")