The cost of living has been rising above the earning capacity of many pensioners and low and middle income earners. A bag of American rice now costs D2260. This alone would consume the income of many pensioners and low income earners.

A government which is concerned about the living standard would first establish a salaries commission to weigh the cost of living against the existing income of pensioners and low and middle income earners in order to make recommendations that would actually address the living standards of the most disadvantaged income earners.

The minister of finance has indicated that the 2025 budget aims to address the income of low income earners. Foroyaa has looked at the workforce budget and what is clear is that a grade 1 income earner is now going to receive an estimated income of 36,000 dalasi per annum in 2025. This will translate into a monthly income of D3000 to enable the person to be left with D750 after buying a bag of rice. If its policies are to have a human face we must move away from propaganda and concentrate on assessing the real cost of living in the country and what ought to be done to move our people from poverty. This is the challenge.