Petroleum policy is a blunder -MP

THE Member of Parliament for Upper West Akim, Mr S. Sallas-Mensah, has described the recent increases in the price of petroleum products and the policy recommendations as well as measures on the pricing of fuel as an economic blunder.

He said that it is not permissible for government to subject the pricing of petroleum products to full cost recovery and automatic price adjustment without instituting appropriate measures for safeguarding the well being of the population.

Mr Sallas-Mensah made this statement when he inspected a number of projects in his constituency.

He said measures for ensuring a means of mass transportation for the people, adequate transportation for haulage, especially for food across the country, and an incomes policy that enables workers to absorb changes in prices of petroleum products are necessary to accompany any serious attempt to subject petroleum prices to the full exigencies of the market in an economy like Ghana’s. The projects he inspected included the on-going self-help electrification project at Asikasu, Mepom, Sukrong and Asuokaw.

He announced that the projects are expected to be completed by the end of June, this year.

Mr Sallas-Mensah also inspected the construction of a health centre at Adeiso, being funded by the government of Saudi Arabia. He was not happy with the progress of work.

He was also not happy with the delay in the completion of a six-classroom block at Asuasu, being funded by the European Union and the district assembly.

The MP blamed the district chief executive for withholding funds for the completion of the project for political reasons and accused him and the district coordinating director for awarding contracts to themselves at inflated cost.

He said, for instance, that a six-classroom block which was awarded in 2002 at the cost ?450 million should have been less than ?250 million at today’s cost.

He, therefore, cautioned the District Assembly Tender Board against inflating contracts which, he said, deprives the people of essential basic needs.