The Minority Caucus in Parliament has voiced serious concerns over the rising prices of foodstuffs, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative.
Despite the substantial allocation of funds for the PFJ, the Caucus argues that the program has failed to deliver the promised benefits.
During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, June 11, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson highlighted the economic hardship faced by many Ghanaians, attributing much of this strain to soaring food prices.
He pointed to the dramatic rise in the price of tomatoes as an example, noting that, “the price of a bucket of tomatoes, which was sold at GH¢75 at the beginning of this year, now sells at GH¢180. This represents an increase of 140%. Mr Speaker, the price of a crate of tomatoes increased by more than 360% between January and June this year alone, moving from GH¢1,500 to GH¢7,000. Times are very hard and Ghanaians are really suffering.”
Dr. Forson questioned the whereabouts of the billions of Cedis allocated for the PFJ program, asking, “Right Honourable Speaker, I am curious and I want to ask what has happened to the billions of Ghana Cedis approved by this House for the government’s so-called flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs. Where is the food and where are the jobs?”
