The Executive Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Professor Peter Quartey, has called on the government to adopt policy measures that will help regulate the prices of food items on the market, despite recent economic improvements.
His remarks come amid growing public frustration that the benefits of the cedi’s relative stability and the drop in inflation have not translated into lower food prices for consumers.
In an interview with Joy News, Professor Quartey stressed the need for targeted government interventions to address inefficiencies in the food supply chain, particularly the influence of middlemen.
He suggested that government policies could be used to incentivize the direct movement of food from rural production centers to urban markets.
“In a market economy, policy can be used to influence behavior,” he said. “If we can offer incentives to encourage certain actions in other sectors, we should be able to do the same to ensure food gets transported efficiently from rural to urban areas.”
He urged government to actively engage market players and associations to understand the root causes of price rigidity and develop sustainable solutions.
Professor Quartey cited a previous initiative by the former Minister of Agriculture, who transported food from rural areas to the ministry’s offices in Accra to bypass intermediaries.
Though symbolic, he noted that such a move highlighted the frustrations within the system and the need for more sustainable interventions.
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Source: Comfort Sweety Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
