Accra, Feb. 23, GNA - Mr. Victor Selormey, a Deputy Minister of Finance, said on Wednesday that the Ghana Living Standard survey released by the Statistical Service shows an eight per cent reduction in poverty rate.

The survey indicates that living conditions in the country have seen an appreciable rise due to the government's progressive programmes between 1992 and 1997.

Mr. Selormey, who was speaking at a lecture organised by the Progressive Voluntary Organisations, said the survey also indicates an improvement in the living standards of urban dwellers.

He asked people to not only assess the improvement of their living conditions based on their salaries "but on what the amount of money in their pocket can buy at any giving time".

Mr Selormey said the government had noticed omissions in the payment of end-of-year benefits to some categories of staff of divested state hotels. It has, therefore, put in place a mechanism to pay all affected workers their outstanding benefits.

GNA