BBC Pidgin of Friday, 4 November 2022

Source: BBC

‘My company make I dey work from home sake of fuel price and transport hikes for Ghana’

Some workers for Ghana Some workers for Ghana

De cost of living for Ghana dey all time high as fuel price hikes and transport fares dey increase all year long. After recent 19% transport increment wey GPRTU announce, drivers for Ghana say from henceforth anytime fuel prices go up dem go adjust dia prices.  Sake of dis come companies for Ghana start dey advise dia workers to work from home.  “Sake of de recent economic situation, de hike in fuel prices, transport...my company decide say staff go fit work from home” Florence Andoh (no be her real name) talk BBC Pidgin.  She explain say, “we dey work from home in batches for two weeks after then another set too go work from dia house.” Ghana dey experience harsh economy for sometimes now as di Cedi don depreciate by over 50% dis year. Bloomberg bin list di cedi as world worst-performing currency against di US dollar.

So who is in charge of this country - GHANA, because fuel stations, drivers, food sellers are just increasing prices any how, why is NANA and his leadership sleeping?— Just Believe (@JESH1610) November 3, 2022 ‘Work from home dey save money’ According to dis Ghanaian worker, de option to work from home every two weeks dey bring relief. “E dey bring relief. I dey fit save money, reduce stress den work effectively” Florence explain.  According to her, de work from home dey beneficial sake of as salaries no increase e dey help reduce her expenses.  “Right now every two to three weeks fuel increment dey affect transport fares, no be that alone but foodstuff too but her salary dey thesame.” “I dey spend Ghc25 daily on trotro sake of Uber and Bolt prices dey go through de roof now” she explain. What dis dey mean be say at least Ghc500 of her salary dey go into transport.  So for her de work from home move from her company be good decision. 'We go increase transport fares anytime fuel price go up' Drivers for Ghana start dey serve notice say make passengers make ready for frequent transport fare adjustments. According to dem, right now dem no go wait for dia mother body, Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to agree wit govment on new transport fares.  To implement dis new move, Dem increase transport fares for de second time in one week.  After de 19% increase wey GPRTU and govment agree on wey take effect Saturday, October 29, 2022 den adjust prices unilaterally again on Thursday, November 3, 2022.  “De increases dey worry our passengers, but dis be something wey no fit do anything about am” Ato who be driver for Teshie talk BBC Pidgin.  “Before de 19% increase, we dey charge Ghc6.00 from Teshie to Circle, then after we start dey charge Ghc7.50. But sake of de recent two fuel prices increases in less than three days we dey charge Ghc9.00” he reveal.  He explain say some passengers no wan pay de fare but as drivers, Dem all agree to charge that fare otherwise dem no go fit run de business sake of diesel dey sell at Ghc23 cedis now.