On Monday 27th June, 2022, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) – led by the Deputy Minister Madam Zuweira Lariba Abudu, and accompanied by the Chief Director, Dr. Afisah Zakariah – together with other sector Ministers held a Consultative Meeting with Traders in Agricultural Foods in Accra.
The purpose was to find out conditions at market regarding the sales, purchasing and the hikes in prices of foodstuffs in the country.
In her remarks, Madam Lariba Abudu commended the traders for making time out of their busy schedules to grace the program.
She pleaded with the market queens to engage extensively with other market leaders to discuss the way forward to reduce the prices of foodstuff as Government is also playing its part.
The Deputy Minister urged the traders and market women to leverage and take advantage of the economic mitigating measures implemented by government and consider the reduction of prices of foodstuff which is the cause of high cost of living in the country and recent increment of inflation rate.
The engagement exercise is expected to enable government determine whether or not the reduction of tariff on fuel taxes has provided a way forward to address the effects of recent hikes of foodstuff in the country.
While, the Minister for Agriculture, Afriyie Akoto chaired the engagement, he noted that Government is doing everything possible to address the plight of traders in country.
According to him, an extensive report will be submitted for Government’s attention.
Present at the consultative engagement were the Market Queen Mothers, presidents of various Market associations, Minister of Agric, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister for Transport, Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah and Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr. Daniel Botwe as well as Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Kyerematen and Minister for Information, Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and the Deputy Minister for Finance, Madam Abena Osei Asare.
Other Directors from the various Ministries were also present at the meeting.
See photos below.
