Food Prices Still High

Traders at the Kaneshie market Prices of food stuff still remain unchanged though the National Petroleum Authority slashed downwards petrol prices by 17.7 percent. Traders at the Kaneshie and Mallata markets in Accra said they were yet to feel the change. They claimed vehicles that bring food stuffs from the villages have not reduced their fares.

A bag of onions according to them has shot up to GH¢250. Prices of tomatoes and yam tubers also remain unchanged. A tuber of yam now cost one cedi compared to the previous price of three tubers for two cedis. 1 Litre of Obaapa and Gino cooking oil, which used to sell at GH¢2.20 some few weeks ago, has rather gone up to between GH¢2.80 and GH¢3.00.

The prices of maize and rice have also not changed. A bag of perfumed rice cost GH¢45 while an American tin of maize cost between GH¢1.50p and GH¢1.17p. Some consumers in Accra complained about the increase in prices of items that were manufactured locally by Unilever Ghana Limited and Nestle Ghana Limited, which they said goes up on weekly basis.

According to them, prices of basic items such as Pepsodent and Close-up tooth paste, cakes of soap such as Geisha, Sunlight, Lux, Lifebouy and a bar of Key Soap, as well as Milo, Ideal Milk and Frytol cooking oil, were gradually pushing away the ordinary consumer from buying them.