A Policy Advisor for the opposition New Patriotic Party, Kwaku Kwarteng has called on the Ghana Statistical Service [GSS] to recheck its current data on inflation since the figures quoted by the Service
are not realistic.
Speaking on Multi TV’s political talk show, Minority Caucus, Mr. Kwarteng said investigations conducted by the NPP’s policy team have unraveled some irregularities in the GSS inflation data.
According to him, the figures do not reflect the reality on the ground as far as the pricing of basic goods and services are concerned.
While indicating that the NPP is not seeking to undermine the integrity of the GSS, Mr. Kwarteng noted that “it is also important that we criticize and refine our institutions. The explanation that
has come from the GSS over the data that they gave us is disgraceful”.
Inflation for July is quoted within the single digit region standing at 8.39 percent but Mr. Kwarteng said a careful scrutiny of the raw inflation data the party received from the GSS shows a lot of irregularities.
“Many of the prices of the items that were cited had prices of 0, Property tax in the whole of Kumasi is 0. In Bolga, pineapple price is 0, coconut oil price is 0” he stressed.
According to him, “for certain areas they have left some of the items completely out of the inflation basket. We went to Wa and we discovered that for Wa for instance, 11 items; pawpaw, coconut oil, palm kennel, pork, palm wine, men’s kente, women’s kente, things like starch, pyjamas, were completely left out of the inflation basket, adding, that the team uncovered similar situations in other regional capitals like Ho, Koforidua and Takoradi.
Mr. Kwarteng noted that the NPP deems it a responsibility to hold technical institutions such as the GSS to account for their works since they are financed by the tax payer’s money.
John Boadu, a member of the party’s communications team, who was also on the show advocated for an in-depth national discussion on “inflation rather than the consumer price inflation that we are all
being told is falling.”
He also called on the GSS to pay particular attention to the “relevance of the goods in the inflation basket.”
From: Ewurabena Yorke/ Multi TV
are not realistic.
Speaking on Multi TV’s political talk show, Minority Caucus, Mr. Kwarteng said investigations conducted by the NPP’s policy team have unraveled some irregularities in the GSS inflation data.
According to him, the figures do not reflect the reality on the ground as far as the pricing of basic goods and services are concerned.
While indicating that the NPP is not seeking to undermine the integrity of the GSS, Mr. Kwarteng noted that “it is also important that we criticize and refine our institutions. The explanation that
has come from the GSS over the data that they gave us is disgraceful”.
Inflation for July is quoted within the single digit region standing at 8.39 percent but Mr. Kwarteng said a careful scrutiny of the raw inflation data the party received from the GSS shows a lot of irregularities.
“Many of the prices of the items that were cited had prices of 0, Property tax in the whole of Kumasi is 0. In Bolga, pineapple price is 0, coconut oil price is 0” he stressed.
According to him, “for certain areas they have left some of the items completely out of the inflation basket. We went to Wa and we discovered that for Wa for instance, 11 items; pawpaw, coconut oil, palm kennel, pork, palm wine, men’s kente, women’s kente, things like starch, pyjamas, were completely left out of the inflation basket, adding, that the team uncovered similar situations in other regional capitals like Ho, Koforidua and Takoradi.
Mr. Kwarteng noted that the NPP deems it a responsibility to hold technical institutions such as the GSS to account for their works since they are financed by the tax payer’s money.
John Boadu, a member of the party’s communications team, who was also on the show advocated for an in-depth national discussion on “inflation rather than the consumer price inflation that we are all
being told is falling.”
He also called on the GSS to pay particular attention to the “relevance of the goods in the inflation basket.”
From: Ewurabena Yorke/ Multi TV
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