While the burning of charcoal is resulting in land degradation, soil erosion, and deforestation, some charcoal sellers at Wulugu in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region, who are into charcoal production for commercial purposes want the government to reduce fuel prices because it is affecting their business.
The charcoal traders bemoaned the fact that their customers who are from Accra, Kumasi, and other parts of the country are not willing to buy a sack of charcoal at GHC50 but prefer to buy it at GHC40 because of hikes in fuel prices.
They say a bag of charcoal was initially sold at GHC50 but was later reduced to GHC40 because of fluctuation in prices.
The traders also said the increasing demand for LPG for domestic use is killing their business.
Speaking to Asaase News in an interview, Mankuyi Sandra, a charcoal dealer appealed to the government not to make LPG usage compulsory at homes because it will collapse her business.
“That is the only thing we are doing to support ourselves. I will just appeal that the government shouldn’t impose gas cylinders on us because if everybody buys the cylinder, no one will buy the charcoal. And everybody will prefer the cylinder to the charcoal and that will cause a lot of harm,” Mankuyi said.
“The government should not make it compulsory that everybody should buy cylinders else, we are going to suffer. The charcoal business is helping us a lot,” another trader said.
“People are willing to buy the charcoal but there is no money in the system. Because of the increment in the petrol too, our suppliers will bring it from other villages to us and then they will also increase it. Due to that we have to also increase our prices and eventually people don’t buy,” another added.
Other charcoal traders in Wulugu are appealing to the government to reduce fuel prices because it has affected their daily bread forcing them to move to the southern parts of the country to do menial jobs.
Dokurugu Alhassan
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