The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency institute measures to resolve the problems of the cedi.
President of the GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng indicated that businesses are going down due to the the high exchange rate.
“It is very discomforting for businesses and most of us are losing our capitals. Already about 15 per cent of our capital has been depleted . If it continues we wouldn’t know what to do,” he said.
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has said also said consumers in Ghana should prepare to pay more for goods and services due to the poor performance of the cedi against the major trading currencies.
Executive Secretary of the association, Samson Awingobit, said members of his association have no option but to pass on the high cost of importing goods on to the consumer.
The cedi is currently trading beyond 7 cedis to the dollar. Analysts have predicted it is most likely to cross 8.
Mr Awingobit told journalists in Accra on Tuesday March 8 that “The business community is worried and consumers should also be worried because at the end of the day if an importer will have to go through and bring goods under this high cost rate of the dollar to Ghana cedis, 7.4 per dollar as we speak, it tells you that goods and services prices will have to go up.
“That will not be well for the Ghanaian consuming public looking at the economic situation of the ordinary Ghanaian.
“I strongly believe that our call that majority of our import is coming from China market and so there is no need for any Ghanaian business person to say he is travelling to China to buy goods, should be listened to. You put physical cash at the commercial bank exchanging for dollar, instead of the Bank of Ghana or the government making Chinese Yuan available.
“So far as this supply is coming from China there will be no need for dollar before you go to China. I strongly believe that that is the only way to go through. So make Chinese Yuan available in the market.”
Source: 3news