The Executive Secretary of the Ghana Real Estate Development Association (GREDA), Sammy Amegayibor urged the government to be proactive in handling the recent cement price hikes.
According to him, government instead of issuing a directive should rather engage the cement manufacturers to decide the best way forward.
In an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Monday, Mr Amegayibor emphasised that, government must also focus on implementing sustaining measures to support the manufacturers.
The manufacturers have given us their reasons for the increment but the government has not announced any relief measures including taxes, import duties, and alternative raw materials among others.
“These are some of the long term measure the government can do for the people to feel they care not that we wake up each day to hear one tax or another. These are killing the local industries,” he stated.
His comment comes after the Minister for Trade and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond directed the Cement Manufacturing Development Committee (CMDC) to immediately reverse their price hikes.
He also requested the publication of the retail prices by all cement manufacturers in the country to stop the continuous arbitrary price increases.
However, Mr Amegayibor has indicated stakeholders in the cement industry over a year ago met with the parliamentary select committee on the prices but to date, nothing has been heard.
“Cement prices have now gone up by about GH¢10 and all they can do is to just issue directives when there are repercussions for both the manufacturer and consumers,” he stated.
ALSO READ: