CRUCIFYING OUR GHANAIAN ECONOMY

Being a Ghanaian in today's Ghana, is excruciatingly expensive. A simple meal cost virtually nothing not long ago. Gari and beans, known to many, and by many, as an affordable meal is now a fallacy. For our children, saving some coins for the occasional forbidden toffees is now an act of luxury; each penny counts. As the cedi keeps losing value, most of us are in a state of helplessness.

How do I survive, is the question we keep asking ourselves each day. How do I pay for my next meal? How do I pay for my upcoming rent? How do I pay for my utilities? How do I pay for the school fees of my children? How do I pay for healthcare? I keep working, but cannot even save, is a common song of most Ghanaian workers.

Quite recently, my mother contracted a young man to weed around the house. After diligently carrying out his contract which was barely a 32 square meter area, this young man when asked of his charge boldly let out, 'hundred and twenty Ghana cedi.' I was actually beset with rage when I came home to hear this. After pondering over this for a while, I realized that he seemed justified. All around him, prices were soaring! Prices of all kinds of goods and services were being inflated! Notwithstanding, did he actually deserve what he was demanding?

This is the trend in Ghana today. Ghanaians are crucifying our economy in the name of inflation. We are devaluing our currency because what should cost nothing is being sold at the cost of human life!

Do you know that a simple haircut can cost as much as 15 cedis? Do you also know that a simple makeup can cost about 600 cedis? One tomato costs one cedi. A finger of banana is costing a fortune. Even ordinary kenkey with fish is now expensive. When it comes to transportation, the rates are overwhelming. I once chartered a taxi and upon hearing what my fare was, I asked the driver if he was taking me across the border to Togo. Accommodation and rent these days is a nightmare! Common 'momoni' is now being sold at dollar equivalence!

Is there a regulatory body monitoring the activities of our traders? Is there really a consumer protection agency? The only appeals I hear usually go to the government. What about our local traders? Who regulates their operations?

We need to start learning to give value for money! People are only too eager to increase prices of goods and services, at the mere hint of impending prices adjustments, even when it does not apply to them! Our traders are all trailing the foreign currencies in hope of increments, so they can immediately adjust their prices. It is quite interesting, and again, disappointing, when in the same neighbourhood, prices of same goods vary considerably from stall to stall. In Ghana, prices of goods and services never reduce, even when it calls for reduction; it only keeps increasing. This is being perpetrated by Ghanaians!

We keep claiming that the change in dollar rates is affecting everything we do and so conveniently, we up our charges! When will Ghanaians learn to give true value to our currency? Disappointingly, most Ghanaians seem not to care. We only take pride in telling others that an ordinary haircut that should cost not more than five cedis, is costing twice the actual value. For the ladies, an ordinary hairdo is costing a fortune. When it comes to makeup, the smudges, costs a fortune! Funerals, are costing us fortunes! Imagine families, spending over 40,000 hard Ghanaian cedi on a funeral! Afterwards, we blame the dollar; everything had to suffer the exchange rates! Unwarranted extravagance!

We have all been asking questions as how rapidly our cedi is losing value. We have all been looking up to our leadership for solution. In our own ways, we have been trying to find answers.

What about the wastage or unnecessary or easily avoidable costs? All these loose monies, find their way into our economy, but cannot be captured by our central bank. In the end, our money keeps depreciating. Does it make any economic sense, paying far more for any goods or services than is actually deserved? Most Ghanaians are guilty of this crime. We feel proud or important when we pay more for something that should cost less. Due to our so-called social status, some people find it hard bargaining for goods and services. They only pay anything that is demanded of them. Is it then surprising that we are saddled by caliber of leaders, who have complete disregard for our needs? We make no demands! Ghanaians must start demanding value for money for when we fail to do so, we crucify our economy. That is practical economics. That is our responsibility as citizens. Of course, we only blame our politicians for our woes, but what about ourselves?

Anna Esi Hanson ([email protected]; esociocomm.blogspot.com)