Ghana Police Tear-gas, Arrest Ghanaians Protesting High Cost Of Living

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Ghana’s police force fired tear-gassed protesters on the second day of demonstrations over record inflation and the high cost of living.

On Wednesday, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters after a day of arrests.

The show of force was met with opposition from the protesters, who threw stones and other objects at the police and burnt car tires.

Police spokesperson Grace Ansah-Akrofi told VOA that 12 officers sustained injuries in the melee and that 29 protesters were arrested.

VOA added that the police reviewed video footage of the event and other persons who took part in the attacks “will be arrested and brought to face justice.”

In the first quarter of 2022, Ghana recorded a slow growth of 3.3 percent year-on-year.

By May, Ghana’s inflation hit a record high of 27.6 per cent.

In March, President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government put in place a new electronic transaction tax which it said would help raise $900 million in revenue.

The E-levy bill saw the introduction of a 1.5 per cent tax on electronic money transfers and transactions.

Mr Akufo-Addo said it will help address problems from unemployment to Ghana’s public debt.