Increase in salaries not basis for price increase - Tetteh

Accra, June 29, GNA - Mrs Beatrice Tetteh, dealer in shoes at Tema Station in Accra, on Tuesday said prices of goods had not been increased in anticipation of the implementation of the Single Spine Salary (SSSS) on Thursday, July 1. She said that prices of goods and services could only increase with increase in taxes and prices of fuel.

Mrs Tetteh was speaking to Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the anticipate d effects of the implementation of the SSSS on prices of goods and services .. She said that most traders had little knowledge about the SSSS, howe ver they had information about the increase in salaries of workers, adding if

that was done, traders would definitely increase prices of their goods. "We hope that their salaries would be increased so that they can buy

enough for us to be able to cater for our families," she said. Mrs. Rita Asamoah, a cosmetic seller, said that she had heard of the

increase in salaries but did not know when it would be implemented. She said if government increased workers salaries, it would be in th e interest of all Ghanaians, as this would affect the prices of production of products, and they would in turn make huge sales.

Mrs Asamoah noted that increases in taxes were the major problem fac ing traders as prices would automatically go up. Most of the traders who spoke to GNA said the SSSS was very good as workers would now have enough money to purchase their products in large quantities. Others noted that sales were not encouraging and if they continued t o increase the prices of their goods and services because of an anticipated

increase in salaries, people would not buy their goods at all. However, they stressed that it would be unfair to increase prices, because the implementation of the new pay policy would affect only government workers and not those in the private sector.