Gov't inherited a bad economy - Minister

Koforidua, July 1, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, has explained that Government inherited a very bad economy that it had no option than to stop subsidizing fuel.

He said the government was using about 29 million US dollars to subsidize fuel every fortnight, which he described as a heavy toll on the economy, hence the upwards adjustment in fuel prizes, to channel that colossal amount into developmental projects that would benefit all. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, who was addressing separate durbars when he visited the security agencies in the region, however assured them that government was mindful of the state and conditions of the security services and would help solve their problems.

He indicated that part of the 29 million dollars would be use to provide free uniforms to over one million schoolchildren in the rural areas, as part of improving the standards of education as captured in the budget.

He said although the NDC government continued with the subsidy it had to discontinue, since bilateral donors were not happy that with the state of the economy, Ghana was still subsidizing fuel for a few privileged ones who have their private vehicles.

Mr Ofosu- Ampofo assured the security agencies that government was putting in several measures to make Ghana a better place fore all and in that direction, the affordable housing project in the region was going to be revisited to ease the accommodation problems facing them. The Regional Minister as part of the tour went to the Ghana Fire Service, Ghana Prisons Service and the Ghana Police Service and inspected the state of the barracks of the Police and the Prisons. Mr Ofosu- Ampofo, who expressed worry about the deplorable state of the rooms in the barracks and the poor living conditions of the security officers and their families, reiterated the commitment of government to improve upon those conditions.

He later made a donation of 20 bags of rice, 20 mattresses and 20 blankets to the inmates of the Koforidua Prisons and another 20 mattresses and blankets to support the personnel of the Police Service who were sleeping under staircases of the regional headquarters. The Regional Fire Officer, Mr Ekow Blankson, told the Minister that out of the 19 fire stations and five posts only six tenders were in working conditions.

He said the rest including Afram Plains where government had invested huge sums of money in the Millennium Challenge Account Project, had no fire tender.

Mr Blankson said if the situation was not addressed early enough it would be difficult to mobilize fire tenders from other stations to extinguishing fire in the event of a fire outbreak in an area. Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Mr Amankrah Yeboah, Director of the Koforidua Prison, said even though the prisons were supposed to reform inmates through vocational training it had no structures and facilities for that programme. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), James Andoh-Kwoffie, Regional Commander of the police, told the Minister that the whole region had only 19 vehicles, which can best be described as "tractors" and wondered how the police would be able to pursue criminals with those "tractors". He therefore suggested that government set aside a security fund, especially for the police since government budgetary allocation could never solve all the problems of the police service.