The bustling Asawase market in the Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region, known for its vibrant atmosphere and variety of goods, has been hit hard by rising costs, leaving traders grappling with the challenges of maintaining their businesses.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Community Forum on Tuesday, December 3, traders shared their frustrations and called on political leaders to address the high cost of doing business as the country gears up for elections.
While calling for peace during the election period, they also emphasise the need for immediate and long-term solutions to support the livelihoods of traders and revitalise the market’s economy.
Amina Ibrahim, a veteran fruit seller, painted a grim picture of the struggles faced by market traders.
“We want peace as we prepare to go and vote, but I want to bring to the attention of our leaders that the prices of our wares, especially the fruits, have gone up exponentially. Now a bag of oranges sells at 400. It is recently that it has reduced to about GH¢350. When you sell, you don’t make a profit.
“I am an old lady but I have to come to this market around 3:00 am just to sell oranges. All the other things you need to sell are all expensive. Plastic bags, transportation and other processes have all gone up.
“So, even as we are preaching peace in this election, we want the next government to reduce the cost of doing business for us,” she stated.
Doris Mensah, another trader, highlighted the role of traders themselves in the price hikes.
“The prices of things are very high now, but it is because some traders hoard the items and tell you that the prices are high. You can go to a shop to buy one item today and the next day you move there, the seller tells you the prices have been increased. Even though you can see that the items are still in the shop, it is not as if they have gone to buy new things.
“So, I will not blame the government entirely for the prices of items. We as traders also have to be blamed,” she stated.
Sadia Ibrahim, a trader at the heart of the Asawase market, expressed concern about dwindling activity in the market.
“Things are hard now in the Asawase market. Many of the traders have moved from the main market to the roadside and that has made the market appear empty.
“We only have the fruit sellers here. Even with them, many of them close by midday and the market becomes dead. When buyers come in here they don’t buy too many things. And especially if they don’t get all the things they want, they don’t return,” she stated.
Another trader, Rukaiyatu Issah added: “They talk about free education. Two of my children enjoyed free education by the government, but I can say that it didn’t help me. This is because the number of days they spend in school compared to the number of days they spend in the house mismatch. They stay home more than they go to school. If I was allowed to pay the fees for my children, perhaps things wouldn’t have been like this.
“Beyond the challenges with free education, things are very expensive in this economy. When you sell, you don’t get people to buy,” she added.
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