Gov’t Can’t Force Traders To Reduce Prices – Osei-Mensah

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has stated that he cannot force but rather appeal to traders in the Kumasi Metropolis to reduce the prices of goods and services.

The prices of commodities, especially oil, sugar, rice, and others, have increased astronomically over the past few weeks due to the depreciation of the cedi and increment in fuel prices.

Buyers have since complained and appealed to the government to intervene and ensure the prices are reduced to cushion them.

Answering questions concerning the skyrocketing prices of commodities at a press conference on Thursday, November 3, 2022, the minister said: “There is no law to stand on to arrest people for selling goods at a certain price in the country.”

He noted that Ghana operates an open and free market policy where everyone is at liberty to price their goods at will.

Hence the government can only appeal to the traders to review their prices. Mr Osei-Mensah said he had already engaged the traders concerning such issues and appealed to them to do something about the prices of their commodities.

He noted some market queens have started engaging their members to reduce the prices of their goods.

The minister said he is also intervening in the recent increase in transport fares in the region which is generating misunderstandings between the drivers and their passengers.

Mr Osei-Mensah said he has directed for data to be collated on the fares to know where the operators have increased it by more than 19per cent as approved by the government for action to be taken.