Television personality Nana Aba Anamoah
Television personality Nana Aba Anamoah has stated that the directive preventing government officials from traveling first class is not a genuine cost-cutting measure.
She argues that in Ghana, only Emirates offers first-class services, meaning appointees will continue to travel in business class, which remains expensive and has always been their preferred option.
According to her, if President John Dramani Mahama is serious about reducing costs, appointees should instead travel in premium economy.
“The truth of the matter is that only Emirates offers first-class services in Ghana. British Airways does not have first class; they offer business, premium economy, and economy. KLM has business and economy; Brussels Airlines does the same. It is only Emirates that provides first class.”
“While I think it is a great idea to deter our appointees from traveling first class, we must be sincere—most of them already travel business class unless they are flying Emirates, in which case they might opt for first class,” she said.
“So if the directive allows them to travel business class, that is what they have been doing anyway, meaning no real cost is being cut. Unless they are flying Emirates, where first class is an option, they will still choose business class. But for airlines like British Airways, appointees always fly business class. To truly cut costs, they should travel in premium economy,” she added.
She continued, “The head of every diplomatic mission in Ghana represents their country’s president. The majority of them travel economy and are not allowed to fly business class. So if the heads of mission from Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the UK travel in economy, who are we, mere mortals?”
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