Ghana has faced difficult times in the past, but it appears that things have gotten worse as the economy continues to deteriorate and the cedi continues to fall in value.
Currently, increases in food prices, housing, electricity, fuel and three other divisions have pushed inflation for the month of October 2022 to 40.4 %.
This means the cost of credit is expected to go up further as the Bank of Ghana is set to take a decision on the policy rate – the rate at which it lends to commercial banks- by November 25, 2022.
On the back of these developments, many Ghanaians are looking for an escape route out of the current economic crisis.
For some, the idea of traveling abroad in search of greener pastures has become more appealing.
They have, therefore, opted for the American Visa Lottery.
JoyNews’ Tracy Asamoah and Lois Tay visited some registration centres in Accra to interact with some citizens about their interest in the visa lottery.
“I usually do it because I want to leave for the US. Things are not going well as they used to be and there is hardship,” she said.
Another also told JoyNews: “We have spent part of our lives in Ghana so we want to go and continue living the rest abroad with hopes that things will be better.
“The country is hard. So when an opportunity presents itself, it must be grabbed with both hands so that it does not pass by hence the reason I am trying,” a lady explained.
In an interview with one of the lottery attendees, he revealed that registration for the visa lottery this year has increased significantly compared to previous years.
“For the past four weeks that we have been here, about 1,561 people have registered,” he said.