Wanted: Social intervention targeting the vulnerable

One question that has been asked by many people since the hikes in the prices of petroleum products and lorry fares were announced is: ‘Are there options opened to the country?’

No matter our disagreements over the management of the economy, there is some sense of convergence on adjustments in the prices of petroleum products and the utilities in order not to create bottlenecks in the system.

The divergence has always been over the quantum of the upward review and how often it should be done.

The government ought to critically assess the situation before reviewing prices in these sectors in order not to create difficulties for the people and operators of industry and other businesses.

For those at the helm of affairs in the country, the decision to adjust the prices of petroleum products is a necessary evil, but others point to the spiral effects of the adjustment in all sectors of the economy.

The upward adjustment in the prices of petroleum products and the increases in lorry fares will have serious implications for inflation, the cost of doing business and, by extension, impact on the cost of goods and services.

How, then, do we deal with this dilemma, such that price adjustments do not slow down efforts at improving the well-being of the ordinary people?

When prices of products such as petrol are adjusted upwards, without corresponding increases in wages and salaries, it is the income earner who bears the brunt of the challenges of the upward review of prices of goods and services.

We reiterate that the government must be aware of its obligations to the people and the platform on which it sought the mandate of the people to govern.

That is why no action of the government must be seen to create difficulties for the people in their attempt to maintain their keep.

There is no government under the sun that can provide for all the needs of the people, but leadership must seek the welfare of the people, particularly the poor, the vulnerable and the excluded.

The Daily Graphic thinks it is about time the government reviewed its policy interventions, especially the safety nets, so that those initiatives will target the poor and the excluded.

It is difficult to appreciate why the rich cocoa farmer and the owner of a fleet of vehicles should also benefit from social intervention policies just because they also live in deprived areas.

Let us identify the poor in society and craft policies to alleviate their plight. This way, upward price adjustments will have very little negative effect on them.

With the increases in the prices of fuel and lorry fares, the government should take another look at the public transport system and seek support to revamp the public bus system and the railway network.

For this reason, we commend the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Company for its decision not to increase fares, despite the 23 per cent upward adjustment in the prices of fuel.

We caution, however, that this pro-poor policy of the MMT must not be allowed to retard the progress of the company because the history of state-owned transport companies such as the defunct Omnibus Services Authority (OSA) and the City Express Service is a pain in our neck. 

Never again should we tread that path.

The Daily Graphic, therefore, calls for urgent steps to target the poor in society with pro-poor policies, instead of the present situation where virtually all Ghanaians access almost all social intervention policies.