Prices remain stable

...and demand for funeral cloth goes up after Xmas
Accra, Jan. 17 GNA - Demand for funeral cloth have shot up after the Christmas and New Year festivities while traders at the various markets in Accra are recording low sales for other products.

Ms Irene Renner, textiles dealer near the Rawlings Park in Accra, said there was high demand for funeral cloth after the Christmas festivities because most families had postponed their funerals till the New Year.

She quoted the prices for full piece funeral cloth as 230,000 cedis and half piece for 125,000 cedis and that of the ATL wax cloth full piece as 320,000 cedis and the half piece for 160,000 cedis. Although Ms Renner did not quote any figures, she said sales had soared up although the prices for the clothes had remained the same before and after the Christmas holidays.

"During the Xmas period no one even asked for the price of funeral cloths, now they are back", she said.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) during its rounds in Accra found that even though prices of goods and services had generally remained stable there were few other items whose prices were fluctuating depending on their demand.

A crate of tomatoes that was sold for 800,000 cedis during the Christmas period remained the same while 93Olonka" full of tomatoes, which sold for 50,000 cedis, had now come down to 35,000 cedis. Ms Linda Akuakor, a tomato seller at the Tema-Station market in Accra attributed the low patronage to the lack of money in the system and parents cutting down on expenditure as school had just re-opened and they had to pay school fees.

At the Makola market, an Olonka of gari is being sold at 9,000 cedis; medium sized tin for 4,500 cedis and the margarine tin for 1,500 cedis; while an Olonka of maize is going for 8,000 cedis showing no appreciable fall or increase from the pre-Xmas price

The prices of plantain, yam and cassava had remained the same on the market. Four or five fingers plantain, depending on the size sells at 5,000 cedis; a big tuber of yam goes for 17,000 and five pieces of cassava cost 5,000 cedis.

A full sack of onions is being sold for 800,000 while twelve pieces of the same item is going for 10,000 cedis.

Mr Michael Asamoah, an onion seller in Accra, hinted that it was likely that the prices of the commodity would fall further because of low sales.

Meanwhile a 25 kilogram-bag of rice (Texas Star) that was sold for 370,000 cedis before and after the Christmas has shot up to 380,000 cedis while 5kg of sugar is being sold at 48,000 cedis. A 25kg of sugar (Argentina) is being sold at 330,000 and a 25kg of (Brazil) sugar goes for 250,000.

At the Okaishie lane in Accra, a box of frytol cooking oil is being sold at 180,000 cedis whiles a box of key soap, sunlight soap and 500 grams of Omo are being sold at 149,000 cedis; 133,000 cedis and 120,000 cedis in that order.

Generally prices quoted by dealers in electrical appliances visited by the GNA showed no change in prices from that of last year. 17 Jan. 07