The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has urged the government to implement more social intervention programmes to bring some relief to the citizenry amid the economic hardship.

It also asked the government to harness more resources to reduce the cost of living in the country.

A statement issued and signed by Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani and President, GCBC, said though 2022 was a ‘difficult’ year, it was necessary that Ghanaians thanked God for His grace and mercies that they had enjoyed despite the hardships.

The Conference advised the populace to act responsibly in all spheres of life as 2023 unfolded.

“It is our fervent prayer and hope that the year 2023 will be a year of new beginnings for our country Ghana and that as citizens, we will all act responsibly in all spheres of life.”

It said Christmas was a time to recall God’s ineffable love and renew one’s resolve to love as God had loved humanity and encouraged all to share with others, most especially the needy.

The statement appealed to road users to observe rules and regulations to ensure safety on the roads during the yuletide and beyond.

“Let us avoid the temptation of drink-driving and driving under stress. Indeed, peace is disrupted in the family, corporate, community and sometimes in national life when road accidents occur,” it said.

The Conference called on all the relevant state enforcement agencies to ensure that all road users complied with the road rules and regulations.

The statement called for humility and peaceful co-existence amongst all citizens in the coming year.