Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare has urged traders at Accra’s Okaishie and Makola Markets to adopt fair and reasonable pricing during the Christmas season, as the government pushes for recent economic stability to translate into lower costs for consumers.
The call was made during a working visit to the two markets on Tuesday, December 23, which are central to retail trade in the capital and a bellwether for household consumption trends. The visit focused on assessing trading activity, understanding sales patterns during the festive period, and gathering firsthand feedback from traders on market conditions. The Minister was accompanied by the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey.
Ofosu-Adjare told traders that improved macroeconomic indicators must be reflected in pricing behaviour, particularly during peak demand periods such as Christmas. She said fair pricing would help protect consumers’ purchasing power while reinforcing confidence in the market and the broader economic recovery.
She also conveyed President John Mahama’s Christmas greetings to traders nationwide and encouraged them to take advantage of the relative stability in prices and exchange rates to support demand rather than dampen it through excessive markups.
Ghana Union of Traders Associations (GUTA) President Clement Boateng welcomed the engagement and credited government policy interventions with helping to stabilize the economy. He said the measures had provided some relief to both traders and consumers, though he stressed that sustained enforcement of market regulations remained critical.
Boateng appealed to government to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws that bar foreigners from participating in retail trade, arguing that continued breaches place local traders at a competitive disadvantage and erode margins. He stressed that existing laws clearly reserve retail trading for Ghanaians and warned that weak enforcement has allowed foreign participation in the sector to expand unchecked.
The National Women Organiser of GUTA, Pearl Poku, said the appointment of a female Trade Minister had boosted morale among traders, particularly women who dominate informal retail trade. She pledged the support of traders for the government’s industrialization and economic transformation agenda.
The visit forms part of the Ministry’s broader strategy to engage key market stakeholders, ensure policy responsiveness, and promote inclusive, private sector led growth anchored in domestic trade and consumer demand.
The ministerial visit occurred amid reports of low patronage at major Accra markets despite price reductions. Traders at Makola, Okaishie, and other markets have complained that increased foot traffic has not translated into meaningful sales, with customers buying in small quantities. On Monday, December 23, intense crowding and extreme heat disrupted last minute Christmas shopping at major commercial centres, including Makola and Okaishie, where at least four people reportedly collapsed.
