Tamale, June 23, GNA – Dr Franklin Mabe, the Senior Lecturer at University for Development Studies, has called for measures to bridge the inequality gap in the country.
He said the 2020 multi-dimensional poverty index report showed that 64.6 per cent of rural populations in the country were multi-dimensionally poor compared with 27.0% of urban populations.
He was speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Tamale.
Dr Mabe said the 2020 report of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) showed that the coefficient of income had increased over the years, and it was currently at 43.5 per cent, which indicated a widening gap between the poor and the rich.
He said the GSS report showed that 80 per cent of people in the Northern Region were multi-dimensionally poor, which was the highest in the country.
He said the region’s performance in economic investment was very low, resulting in high rates of poverty and food insecurity as well as unimproved livelihood outcomes in the area.
He said, “The income inequality and disproportionate development stem from lack of transparency, accountability, proper distribution and use of resources at both national and local levels.”
He called on investors and civil society organisations to support the government to reduce poverty in the region.
GNA