Retailers and buyers in Wa haggle over old cedis

WA, Jan. 1, GNA- Several traders in the Wa Municipality had a very hectic time on Monday convincing customers to accept the old cedis, a day before the deadline for its withdrawal comes into effect. A visit to the business centre and some shops by the Ghana News Agency showed that while some shopkeepers were accepting the old cedis, customers especially those from the villages were refusing to accept it as change.

Most of those interviewed appeared not to be aware that the old currency could be changed for the new Ghana cedis at the Banks after the deadline and no explanation would let them change their minds. Mr Mahamudu Darimani, a shopkeeper noted that although the exercise had been a huge success the inadequate supply of the coins was creating the problem.

"I have only the old currency to give to customers as change because when I went to the bank to change them I was told that they were too busy so I should come after the New Year holiday". "I went to another bank and they said they did not have the new coins", Mr Darimani said.

Other shopkeepers who refused to accept the old currency in their transactions said they had already changed all old cedis in their possession and would not accept it again, adding that they do not have time to go back to the bank to queue to change the old currency. However, in the bigger departmental shops and super markets in Wa, transactions in both the old and new Ghana cedis was going on briskly and smoothly with traders of perishable items in the central market also doing the same. 1 Jan. 08