Calm, serenity returns to Accra Business District
Few days ago, Christmas was in the air, and its presence was felt all over Accra.
Various shopping malls put up beautifully decorated Christmas trees in readiness to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
It is four days after Christmas and calm and serenity is prevailing at the Accra Business District which used to be filled with a milling crowd of shoppers and traders.
The usual bustling of activities of shoppers, motorists, pedestrians, traders and hawkers struggling for space to make the best out of the festive season was virtually absent as many shops are closed.
All roads leading to the city centre which used to be choked with human and vehicular traffic before and during the yuletide were also empty and the usual anxieties on the faces of people were also gone.
Maame Ama Asaba who spoke to the GNA in Accra, said she was amazed when it took her less than 15 minutes to get to Accra from Kaneshie.
“I’m here to get some items I could not get to buy because of the human and vehicular traffic which was so intense following the siege by the Christmas shoppers and visitors.”
Auntie Akweley, a trader at Okaishie, said: “Currently, business is slow because most buyers complain of lack of money in the system, delay in the payment of salaries and the fact that one had to save some money as January is known to be a month of hardship.”
Prices of goods, however, remain the same as items such as rice, cooking oil, drinks, confectionaries, children’s clothing and shoes which were on high demand had taken a low key.
Current market prices show that a 5kg of rice which used to sell between GHȼ11 and GHȼ14 is now selling at GH¢15 and GHȼ16.50; cooking oil that went for between GH¢10 and GHȼ13 was now between GH¢15 and GH¢17; children’s dress which sold between GH¢20 and GH¢25 was now between GH¢30 and 40.
Some traders of perishable commodities were seen busily trying to salvage the rest of their stock as they claimed the Christmas demand of foodstuff had not been encouraging.
The story was the same at the Kaneshie market as business had also taken a low key with many shops closed and some traders complaining of poor sales.
Some women were still seen shouting “reduced to clear, come have a look at my clothes …”, “buy one get one free”, and this for many sums the mood of the Yuletide.
Source: GNA