Bono East Region bakers appeal for govt intervention in price hikes of goods, services

Bakers in the Bono East Region have appealed to the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), to intervene in the price hike of goods and services, for them to stay in business.

This, according to them, needed immediate attention to avert the impending rise in the price of bread in the region.

Mrs. Evelyn Yeboah, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yesu Adom Bakery, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times on Wednesday in Techiman, said the high prices of baking ingredients coupled with the high cost of utilities was unbearable.

The CEO indicated that the prices of main ingredients, namely flour, butter, milk, nutmeg, sugar and flavors have shot up.

“A box of butter which was bought at GH¢185.00 in last quarter of 2020, is now GH¢ 280, flour in the same period at GH¢ 162.00 now sells at GH¢ 210 and sugar which was sold at GH¢ 170 is now GH¢ 210.00,” she lamented to the Ghanaian Times.

Mrs Yeboah said to worsen issues, the cost of electricity had shot up from GH¢400 to GH¢ 540, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was increased from GH ¢260.00 to GH¢ 365.00 and the rise in fuel in the same period.

The CEO, who has been in the bread business for six years in the Techiman Municipality, noted that the high cost of goods and services has compelled bakers to increase the prices of bread from GH¢ 4 to GH¢ 8.

She appealed to patrons, to bear with them on the price adjustment if they wanted to remain in business adding that “all the ingredients are imported, we have to pay our workers and income taxes, utilities and do maintenance works”.

Mrs Yeboah appealed to MOTI, to reduce the tax burden on small businesses, especially bakers, the interest rate on bank loans, and to subsidize the cost of imported equipment in order for them to break even.

The CEO was grateful to her distributors, retailers, customers, suppliers, family and friends and workers for supporting her vision to provide delicious, but nutritious bread to residents of Techiman.

Mrs Yeboah implored residents of the Bono East Region, especially patrons of bread, to strictly adhere to the safety measures of COVID–19 saying that, “it is more expensive to treat the disease than to protect yourself.”