General News of Friday, 22 October 2004

Source: International Campaign Coordinating Committee for CPP (IC4)

So Far Poverty Is Up So Very Much - CPP

With the election in Ghana about 7 weeks away not many people would have failed to hear the ruling NPP government?s own assessment of its performance - ? So Far So Very Good? they say but the reality from the standpoint of ordinary Ghanaians is very different.

Behind the NPP boast on falling inflation and interest rates lies a catalogue of hardship unprecedented in the history of Ghana. On any measure of what it takes to live in Ghana today the situation is worse for ordinary people.

This is a view also confirmed by the Report issued by the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana which shows that there has been a deterioration in the poverty situation in the country.

The reports findings is not surprising however because we all remember the near 300% increase in the price of petroleum products since the NPP government assumed office.

The great explosion in Food prices now witnessed by all in the country and the astronomical increase in utility bills ? Electricity, Water, Telephones, rates etc.

Remittances from relatives into the country has gone up fourfold in direct proportion to the hardship being experienced in Ghana.

So just who is experiencing the effect of the ?So Far So Very Good ? apart from perhaps NPP Ministers, NPP Party functionaries, their associates, relatives and friends.

Ghanaians know and recognise an empty slogan when they see one because they all know the true picture under the NPP government to be this:

? So Far, Poverty is So Very Up

? So Far, Food Prices are So Very Up

? S o Far , Utility Costs, So Very High

? So Far Company Fold-Ups So Very Up

? So Far , Remittances From Abroad To Meet Hardship, So Very Up

? So Far, Money In The Pockets of Ghanaians abroad, So Very Down

? So Far ,Cost of Education , So Very Very High

? So Far , School Drop Out Rate - , So Very Up

? So Far, Health Care costs, Still, and So too much ?Cash and Carry?

? So Far , Primary Disease eradication, So very falling

? So Far , Flight of Doctors , Nurses and other professionals out of Ghana, So So Very rampant.

? So Far, Hardship is So Very Up

? So Far therefore life in Ghana, is So very unbearable.

We need to hear more from the government on how all of these things are going to be tackled to make life bearable for the millions of ordinary Ghanaians and not just party functionaries, friends and family of the NPP.