The Daily Graphic expresses the need for the country to pay critical attention to street hawking. It says efforts at countering street hawking must start with a clearer understanding of the phenomenon and its ramifications from both the supply and demand sides. From the supply side, the paper says the country needs to look at its educational policy and implementation. It says the educational system should be directed at providing employable skills and eliminating early school drop outs to a level where those who leave school will have employable skills demanded by the job market. The Graphic says emphasis on academic qualification should be minimized to allow on-the-job training such that early drop outs can enter and learn on the job. The Paper expresses the need for assessment and enforcement of land use regulations to prevent hawkers from getting access to some areas of the street where hawking is unauthorized.
The Ghanaian Times questions what the Department of Social Welfare is doing for the aged and vulnerable. It cites the story of a 65year old physically challenged woman at Teshie in Accra living in fear of being raped by a young man in her neighborhood and her inability to report the case to the police due to her faulty wheelchair. The paper says such vulnerable people like other citizens, also need public protection from the police and assurance of such protection should be evident in regular well-coordinated police patrols as in other jurisdictions. The Times therefore charges the relevant stakeholders especially the Social Welfare Department to be up to the task.
