Some residents in Ashaiman have expressed concern about rising cost of foodstuff and clothing creating a significant burden on household incomes.
A visit to some markets in Ashaiman by the AGTV News team indicates that prices of staple food items such as rice, maize, and vegetables have surged.
Both traders and residents attributed the situation to depreciation of the cedi, increased fuel prices, and transportation costs which are affecting low to middle-income families, who spend a significant portion of their income on food.
Prices
A bucket of tomatoes, for instance, is now selling between 150 and 200 Ghana cedis.A medium-sized tuber of yam is going for 35 Ghana cedis, with four fingers of plantain selling at 20 Ghana cedis, while three pieces of garden eggs are selling at five Ghana cedis.
A 25 kilogramme bag of rice now sells between 400 Ghana cedis and 800 Ghana cedis depending on the brand.
Worried traders
Some traders at the Ashaiman main market expressed worry about the rising cost of these commodities.
While some of them blamed the situation on depreciation of the cedi, others attributed it to the upcoming elections and the subsequent rise in the cost of transporting goods from the farm gate to the market centres.
A visibly worried Aunty Mary, a trader said “a small rubber of tomato is 50 Ghana cedis. Previously, it was 10 Ghana cedis ,and we were even dividing them into two for 5 Ghana cedis each. But now because of the price, we cannot divide them for people to buy at a cheaper price.
”“Daily sales have gone down drastically because customers are no longer buying our stuff as they used to because of the price hikes. There is no money” Madam Amartey, another trader indicated.
Some food vendors also lamented the frequent increases in the prices of food items on the market, saying they are only in business to keep their customers, as they are making no profits.
The AGTV News team gathered that despite these challenges, traders and consumers are hopeful that after the December 7 elections, the situation will normalise.
