John Awumi, Chairman of the Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG), has raised serious concerns over the recent surge in prices of goods and services, describing the increases as “illogical” and lacking any clear justification.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, April 10, Awumi questioned the rationale behind the price hikes, highlighting inconsistencies within the broader economic context.

“For me, it defies logic. If you look at fuel prices, the government has done a couple of things that have cancelled VAT on insurance, which has allowed transport fares to be stable for some time. Yet a tipper truck of sand has increased from Ghc2,700 to Ghc3,000 in the Greater Accra region, and stones have increased from Ghc3,400 to Ghc4,000. What is the basis for these increases? I don’t understand,” he lamented.

Awumi urged the government to take a more proactive role in monitoring and addressing such unexplained price movements. He emphasized that the current situation requires greater oversight and transparency.

He called on the Ministry of Trade to investigate the root causes of the price hikes and gather accurate data to help inform national economic planning.

“Looking at trends, the government needs to take a hand in that. We must be interested in our economy. Because you just come in and you have a certain area of the country, you just increase the price, and there is no basis.

“A pepper seller will tell you that it is because of the dollar. A bean seller, an okra seller, and all the others will tell you it is because of the dollar. It is time the Ministry of Trade goes down and gathers these figures to know what they can do so that the figures the church puts out as inflationary figures reflect what is on the ground,” he stated.

Awumi’s remarks reflect growing public frustration over the rising cost of living, especially in light of stable fuel and transport prices, which many expected would ease the pricing pressures on basic goods and construction materials.