Kumasi traders complain of poor sales during the festive season
Unlike Accra, trading during the festive season in Kumasi, the capital of Ashanti region, is going at a rather slow pace.
Sellers in the regional capital, as captured by e.tv Ghana’s lenses, look disturbed at the slow rate at which their goods and wares are being bought by enthusiastic Christmas shoppers.
In the nation’s capital, Accra, although shopping is not at a fast pace, the city is choked with both human and vehicular traffic as shoppers troop in to either buy items or just to window shop.
Some shoppers e.tv Ghana news spoke to in Kumasi attributed the lack of enthusiasm in buying to the high prices of goods on the market. As usual, some also complained about the lack of money in the economy.
Prices of items meant for Christmas festivities have escalated to levels that are not within the means of the general public. Some of the goods for Christmas have jumped by a margin of either five points to ten points or more depending on the commodity one wants to buy.
Compared to last year, there has been a hike in prices of goods, but that notwithstanding, the goods like rice, cooking oil, drinks, confectionaries, children’s clothing and shoes are on high demand.
Prices show that a 5kg of rice which used to sell between GHc8 and GHc11 is now selling between GH¢11 and GHc16; cooking oil that went for between GH¢10 and GHc13 is now between GH¢15 and GH¢17; children’s dress which sold between GH¢6 and GH¢8 is now above GH¢10, while shoes that sold at GH¢5 last year are now GH¢12.
Also, a fowl which was sold at GH¢6.50 last year at the farm is currently selling at GH¢8.50, whilst confectionaries such as toffees, biscuits and others have their prices shooting up, thereby making the once cheaper commodity difficult for the ordinary to purchase
A survey made by e.tv Ghana news indicated that, fowls such as layers which used to be GH¢6 or GH¢7 are sold at GH¢10 each with the broilers being sold at GH¢20 and GH¢25 depending on the weight.
At Akate farms in Kumasi, the Deputy Managing Director of the farm who also doubles as head of sales and marketing, Hajia Mariama Akate noted that the prices of birds have been pushed upwards following high price of maize on the market.
The biscuit sellers also attributed the increase of prices to high tariffs levied on biscuit imported into the country. Salamatu Yahaya , a shop owner at Adum Pampaso in Kumasi said she could not clear her goods for the Christmas following the high tariffs and the little that they have in the stores have to be increased in order to meet her tax obligation at the ports.
She complained of low patronage compared to last year, where there was no breathing space when one visits her store to transact business.
The situation was not different with those who sell Christmas decorations. At the time of e.tv Ghana news’ visit some of them were sleeping. Cloth sellers also complained of low patronage.
By: e.tv Ghana
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