Accra, Jan 14, GNA - The government has been urged to publish the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) debt and how much has been redeemed in the media, on regular basis, to let the people know the true state of affairs. According to the Chairman of the Odododiodioo Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Daniel Nii Okai, this would help the people to appreciate the sacrifices that they have to make to redeem the debt to ensure national development.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday, he said just as was done during the energy crisis, where the water level of the Akosombo Da= m was published daily, the total amount of the TOR debt must also be publishe= d in the leading newspapers as well as the electronic media regularly. Mr Okai stated that, this helped the people to know the increase or decrease of the water level in the dam and the sacrifice that they had to make to rectify the situation.

He said such a move would inform the public of the total amount of the debt and how much of it was passed on by the previous administration for th= e government of President John Evans Atta Mills to pay.

The Odododiodioo NDC Chairman said this would curtail the politicization of the recent increases in the prices of some petroleum products by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to score what he called 93Cheap political points". It would be recalled that the NPP at a news conference on the petroleu= m price hike announced by the government, described it as 93uncalled for and would make Ghanaians suffer unduly". The NPP also claimed that the increase was going to affect the prices of goods and services.

Mr Okai said Ghanaians were prepared to make sacrifices for the development of the country, 93if they know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that they were not suffering in vain and unduly". He called on the NPP to come out with the total amount they collected under the petroleum fund and how much was used to defray the TOR debt when it was in power, instead of creating the impression that the NDC government was going against its campaign promises. "The government has shown its capacity to manage the country's eco= nomy prudently, by reducing inflation to a single digit and the drop in the interest rate," Mr Okai said. He said the NPP 93should stop throwing dust into the eyes of the peop= le with the hope that it would cause disaffection for the government and the NDC".