‘Where is the food and where are the jobs?’ – Prof Bokpin asks of PFJ initiative.

A professor of finance and economics at the University of Ghana, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, has questioned the impact of the government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, amidst the current economic challenges in the country.

Speaking on Newsfile, on Saturday, he asked, “where is the food and where are the jobs?”.

According to him, the relevance of government policies can best be measured in moments of economic hardship.

“Planting for food and jobs. Where’s the food and where are the jobs? It is factors and drivers like these that reveal the resilience of your policy and your economy. On a Macro global level, the impact is pervasive. We are not here to deny that, but the resilience of your economy is shown in times like these. And that’s why you’ll see variations in the level of exposure and price development between Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, and other countries.

You’ll see it. When it happens that way, then you’ll realize how global-level development is meeting local reality and magnifies the vulnerabilities that we have used words to explain. But now [it’s] your words against the reality.

Now it’s no longer a multiple choice so that people choose what they like. Because the reality is in front of everyone regardless of your political affiliation”, he explained.

Professor Bokpin’s comments were in connection with the widespread public sentiments about the increasing cost of living.

In recent times, Ghanaians have been lamenting the hike in fuel prices as well as the rising inflation and the general hardship affecting the masses.

For example on Thursday, June 16, 2022, it was predicted that fuel prices were going to go up despite previous increments.

This was based on data secured by Joy Business from the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies.