Head of Research at the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC-GH), Benjamin Nsiah has kicked against government’s decision to acquire a new and bigger presidential jet.
He cautioned the government and all other African governments to desist from incurring huge costs on the citizens just to chase after their comfort.
Speaking on government’s decision to acquire a new presidential jet, he expressed on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show: “It is no secret that our existing presidential jet can fly to Europe and back. So why can’t we fly that same jet to the UK or US? It is high time African leaders begin to learn to cut down on cost.
Benjamin argued that it is highly possible that the price of the new jet exceeds the budget of some ministries in the country. To him, that does not augur well for the development of the country.
He thus called on the government to consult with various stakeholders before taking the decision to purchase a new presidential jet.
“Government should not make centralized decision on purchasing a jet. Do we need jet now? We should involve all stake holders and make a cost benefit analysis. But for now, we should halt the buying of the jet”, he pleaded.
The government has initiated process to acquire a new and bigger presidential jet.
The Minister of Defence, Mr Dominic Nitiwul is handling the processes and expected to announce details later on.
The Director of Communications at the presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin gave the hint a press briefing at the Jubilee House on Monday evening, September 27, 2021.
