From food to housing, the cost of living in Ghana is spiraling out of control — and citizens are fed up. Between January and April 2025, Ghanaians have witnessed outrageous price increases that defy logic and accountability.
Tomatoes, a kitchen staple, now cost GHS 150 — nearly double the GHS 80 they sold for earlier this year. Local beer has jumped from GHS 140 to GHS 210. Cement has skyrocketed from GHS 75 to GHS 127 per bag. A single box of local tiles (1.5 sqm) now costs GHS 140, up from GHS 103. Worst of all, a trip of sand, once GHS 2,300, now goes for an astronomical GHS 3,800.
These figures have left consumers reeling and calling on the government to act. “This doesn’t make any sense. The exchange rate is stable. Fuel prices haven’t seen major shifts. So what’s causing this madness?” asked one Accra resident.
Indeed, the cedi has held around GHS 16 to the dollar — a level of stability that should, in theory, prevent such steep price hikes. But on the ground, a different reality plays out.
The issue, critics argue, isn’t just inflation or demand. It’s systemic. The informality of Ghana’s business environment and the absence of real market oversight are allowing price profiteering to flourish unchecked. “There’s no structure, no accountability, and no national price standard. Everyone is doing what they like,” says a market analyst.
Citizens are now demanding the Ministry of Trade stop hiding behind the excuse of a “free market” and step in. “We’re not asking for price controls. We’re saying engage the market leaders. Dialogue. Set basic standards. There has to be order,” one vendor stressed.
There’s growing concern that if this unchecked pricing culture continues, it could breed social unrest. “No government can achieve its goals if the people are drowning in costs. Lawlessness will come if prices remain unregulated. Ghana needs strategy, not silence,” a community advocate warned.
People are also calling for cultural change. “We don’t work together. We don’t hold each other accountable. Everyone is chasing profit with no social conscience,” said another.
Ghanaians want a country where self-regulation, responsible pricing, and government leadership are the norm—not the exception.
So the question remains: Why are there so many businesses in Africa, but no business? Without structure, ethics, and regulation, it’s all noise without progress.
