Wa: Residents Anticipate Difficult Times Ahead of 2022 Budget Reading
A cross section of business men and women in the Upper West regional capital Wa, have started tightening their belts ahead of the 2022 budget reading on Wednesday.
The budget reading comes on the back of comments made by the Information minister Hon. Kojo Opong Nkrumah that Ghanaians should expect the introduction of new taxes.
Home Radio news Albert Dapare went around Wa township to take the views of people and can confirm that many residents are despondent.
A visit to the main Wa daily market revealed that the over twenty (20) market women contacted to share their expectations on the budget declined since they said it would make no difference.
They even intimated that their loud cry over the ever increasing prices of goods and services went unheaded.
Meanwhile, at the small ruminant abattoir a butcher identified as Alhaji Nuhu from Dondoli stated that budgets usually come along with increment in taxes hence prices of goods and services. ‘The increment in the prices of meat doesn’t only affect we the sellers but the buyers as well.
I don’t know why they don’t consult we the petty business persons before the compilation of the budget.’
He was also very livid at the high cost of fuel in the country which he says is a major cause of the rising cost of living.
On his part, one of his colleagues who is known as City blamed politicians squarely for the predicaments Ghanaians are being confronted with.
He was emphatic that since they neither pay for fuel, feeling, medical bills, utilities amongst others they don’t share in the pain of the masses.
He also went ahead to state that the cost of goats have doubled within a year.
Nonetheless, Alhaji Nuhu Mahama the Snr. Industrial Relations Officer for Ghana Private Road Transport Union says ‘All we expect is for fuel prices to reduce through the reduction of taxes on petroleum products’.
Government promised to grant our request to remove several taxes we proposed but if that falls GPRTU would declare a nationwide strike come Thursday.
In a conversation with Matthew Braimah a Social Commentator, he described the reading of the budget as a complete waste of time and that he would even have a problem with media houses who waste precious airtime in airing the budget reading live. ‘Dr. Bawumiah told us he has arrested the dollar and given to the IGP but what is the rate of the Cedi to the dollar.
Businessmen in the Upper West region transact in CFA Frac, ask them wether when they buy products from Burkina Faso and Cote I’viore ask them after retailing wether due to exchange rate differentials they can go back and buy goods? We are in difficult times and I can’t see something good would come out of this budget.
It is unclear wether the Finance minister Ken Ofori Atta would be available to read the budget come Wednesday since there are various reports of his ill health.
It would be recalled that the majority leader and leader of government business read the budget on his behalf as it was announced he was suffering from Covid-19 complications.
