From January to April 2025, Ghanaians have witnessed a relentless rise in the cost of goods and services, sparking growing frustration among citizens who say the price hikes are unjustified and unsustainable.
From abattoirs to classrooms, the impact is being felt in every corner of society. A live chicken that cost GHS 150 before the March salary disbursements now sells for GHS 185. A trip of sand that used to cost GHS 2,300 now goes for GHS 2,700. Prices of cement, tiles, fruits, and even bananas have all seen sudden spikes—leaving ordinary Ghanaians questioning the rationale behind the increases.
Despite the Muslim festival of Salah coming and going, food prices that had sharply increased in anticipation of the holiday have refused to drop. “Is it that every new year automatically means new prices?” asks a worried consumer in Accra. “Our salaries haven’t changed, but everything else keeps going up.”
Parents are also bearing the brunt of the inflation, with many reporting increases in school fees even though no major educational reforms have taken place. “Even basic things like fruit have become a luxury. Bananas, which used to be affordable, are now expensive. Is this because the NDC is in power? Is this a Salah period? Or is it just that no one cares anymore?” another resident lamented.
Critics argue that these price surges are not being driven by the foreign exchange rate, as the cedi has seen relative stability at around GHS 16 to the US dollar. Instead, they blame a growing culture of opportunistic pricing—where businesses hike prices indiscriminately after salary payments, religious holidays, or the start of a new year.
With no matching increases in wages and little to no intervention from regulatory bodies, many fear that this pricing culture could push more Ghanaians into poverty. Civil society groups are calling for the government to investigate and address the unjustified price hikes and restore fairness to the market.
Until then, Ghanaians are left to endure the consequences of a broken pricing system, where the cost of living continues to rise without reason—while earnings remain stagnant.
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