” We won’t vote in 2024 if the government doesn’t address the increase in fuel prices” – Angry Gari processors to the government.
Gari processor’s residents of Awutu Bawjiase of the central region are seething with anger at not voting in the coming 2024 election due to the increase in fuel prices and bad road networks. This was made known when the fuel price for Ghana hit one of the highest pump prices at $1.07 dollars per liter.
In an interview with a gari processor, he explained that the increase in fuel price has affected his work since he can’t meet the demand and supply of his customers.
” Transportation for wood logs around April from Swedru to Bawjiase was Gh¢70.00 per Rhino car now! It cost Gh¢ 120. 00 per Rhino car. This is too much! How can I pay and enjoy others’ work? Many things are happening and the government is not doing much about it. The increase in fuel price affects everything including me increasing my products. Now I sell 1 olonka of Gari for Gh¢ 15.00 instead of Gh¢ 11.00″ – Gari processor reinstated.
The Assemblyman for Awutu Bawjiase, Williams Agyemang also expressed worry over the current increase in fuel price. To him, many residents can’t produce more if the gari since selling the gari at various markets costs them more than ten profit gain due to increased transportation.
In addition, he mentioned that, the few who manage to sell at the market come back home with selling small quantities of the gari out of the maximum 2 to 3 bags sent to the market.
” Many residents who are into gari making now can’t go to the market to sell since fuel prices continue to increase at least every week. Moreover, a processor goes to the market with 2 bags of gari and later returns with one and a half bags. As they increase fuel prices sellers also increase the price of gari which led to many complaints that customers don’t purchase as they did earlier, thereby focusing them to give many bags of gari on credit. The question is: How can they survive if many bags are given out in credit? “
In regards to Mr. Agyemang’s concerns, he urged the government to meet with various industries like the Ghana Petroleum Authority (GPA) on alternative reasons to help control the continuous increase of fuel. Besides, he also made an appeal to the government to help bring investors to build factories in Bawjiase to help develop the town, especially improving the state of linking roads to various communities.
