The Member of Parliament for Adaklu Constituency, Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza has said that government’s move to set up new markets where foodstuffs will be sold at relatively cheaper prices was not well thought through.
According to the Adaklu Legislator, almost all markets in the Country belong to government and so there is no need setting up new markets as a way of mitigating the impact of rising food prices in the face of the ongoing economic unrest.
“99% of markets in the Country are owned by government, the district assemblies’ so why will you go and set up another market. ..So when government says [its] going to set up six (6) new markets, [what is it for;] building a new market or just creating space. Why couldn’t [government] just tell the plantain sellers to go to Agbloshie market and sell [their food stuffs]?”
Kwame Governs, MP
In the MPs opinion, if the thousands of markets across the length and breadth of the Country are not sufficient enough in these times, then the six new markets will not make any difference.
He questioned how effective the pilot market which was opened at the Ministry of Agric has been since it started. “How is this going to reduce the cost of food; since they started, how [many] food products have been made cheaper?,” he quizzed.
“There is absolutely no reason for government to say [it] is selling Plantain at the Ministry because, [it] didn’t think about it, it was a knee jerk reaction.”
Kwame Governs, MP
Since the Ministry of Agric has identified the cost of transporting food stuffs from the hinterlands where they are produced, to Accra and other urban centres as the major reason why food items are selling at huge prices, Kwame Governs advised government to “make the necessary changes on fuel cost, transportation cost,” as that will automatically reduce the cost of food items.
He claimed that Chickens imported from Brazil and Holland are far cheaper than Chickens produced here in Ghana. The reason being that governments there, have given Farmers incentives that have reduced cost of production.
Meanwhile, the Adaklu Legislator claimed government is even confused as to where funding for transporting foods from the hinterlands to be sold at the urban centres is coming from.
He feared that if government, the Agric Ministry, continuos selling food, those in charge will take advantage of the process to enrich themselves at the expense of the taxpayer.
Open Market at the Ministry of Agric
On Friday, November 11, 2022, the first truckload of foodstuffs from farm gates in the rural areas arrived at the forecourt of the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the Ministry of Agric, the purpose of bringing the foodstuffs was to sell them to public servants at relatively cheaper prices.
On the first day, a bunch of the plantain was selling at a minimum of GH₵10 and a maximum of GH₵25.
Reports indicated that there was a well laid down procedure for purchasing items. Cards that indicate the item a customer wishes to purchase is given to him or her, and with that card, the customer goes to a table where payment is made and receipts are given.
Even though the Ministry claimed the foodstuffs were cheap, some people who purchased from them claimed there was no significant difference between the price at the Ministry and the ones being sold at various markets in Accra.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agric has said the market at the Ministry’s office is only a pilot market and that, it is looking at establishing six (6) others elsewhere.
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