With the Christmas season comes a big shopping time and in Ghana, it is one of the seasons where buyers and sellers are able to make a better assessment of the prevailing economic conditions.
Traders at the Kasoa market speaking to Oman Channel in an interview largely said there is economic hardship in the country.
Citing various reasons, the
Read full articlemarket women say the 2021 Christmas shopping season compared to previous years has not been that good because they have not been able to cash in on the season as they would usually do.
According to a mother, one of the reasons accounting for the situation is the change in the academic calendar for students in the Senior High Schools and below.
“Because the first term now commences in January, parents now have to think of buying for Christmas and preparing for school fees at the same time. Back then the third term vacation was in August and reopening was in September but now the children are going to school in January and so you can’t buy much. You have to buy books as well,” she lamented.
Another trader called for a reduction in import duties noting that it invariably contributes to the price of goods and services.
“Prices of goods have gone up so people don’t buy much. Our customers complain a lot but it's not our fault. We plead for a reduction in the duties. So our customers can also buy from us,” she stated.
Amidst the complaints, there were those who agreed that one of the contributory factors to the current economic conditions is the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, Sakinatu Ibrahim who is also a trader at the market said there is the need for an attitudinal change if anything is to be done about the current economic conditions.
“People buy goods at thousand and want to sell it for five thousand, they buy at two thousand and want to sell for ten thousand and so if we all don’t change our attitude we will continue to suffer,” she noted.
The traders however were hopeful that the shopping season will be better when it peaks between December 23 and 24.
