President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is scheduled to deliver the State of the Nation Address in Parliament today, March 8, 2023.
This is in compliance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution, which provides that the President should deliver a statement on the State of the Country to Parliament at the opening of each session and before the dissolution of Parliament.
The address is scheduled to emphasize the government’s primary policy objectives for the year as well as offer information on how the government intends to manage current economic conditions.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, explained why the meeting was postponed from February.
“After extensive discussions, the address has been shifted to the 8th of March. It is for good reason that the President agreed to the date. The 6th is an important date for all of us and there will be a national event in Ho and the President is expected to be there. On the 7th also, definitely, for good reason, it cannot be held. So, we have agreed to sacrifice some assignments and do the SONA on the 8th,” the Speaker noted.
Several industry players have urged the President to take steps to cut the high cost of goods and services.
The Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) has lamented the recent rise in the cost of vehicle replacement parts, which it attributes to hefty import taxes.
According to a member of the council, the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana, President Akufo Addo must provide the state of the country address today and outline the government’s intentions to solve the issue of excessive import taxes.
According to David Agboado, Public Relations Officer of the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana, the president’s message must address the myriad difficulties in the transportation industry.
“Our difficulty presently is the uncontrolled growth in the pricing of replacement parts, therefore we are expecting the President would say something about import tariffs on spare parts. The majority of Ghana’s highways are now impassable. The biggest one is gasoline and spare components,” he explained.
