Poor Roads Driving Price Surge in Goods and Services – Economist

By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh

Economic Analyst Emmanuel Boateng has attributed the high cost of goods and services across northern Ghana to the country’s poor road and transport infrastructure, urging the government to prioritise investment in quality roads and an efficient transport system.

Speaking on the Business Breakfast on Zed 101.9 FM, Mr. Boateng explained that several food items consumed in the northern parts of Ghana are produced and processed in the south, but the poor state of the country’s road network makes transportation of such goods expensive.

“There are some food items that are not manufactured up north. They are produced down south and must move up north. If a carton of canned food or any processed item is transported from Accra to the Northern Region, the cost becomes much higher, and it’s mainly because of the kind of roads we have,” he said.

Mr. Boateng noted that the current condition of major highways linking the south to the north continues to hinder trade and push up prices of essential goods.

“Why must I sit in a car for seven to eight hours just to move from Accra to Kumasi? And why should it take 13 hours to travel from Accra to some parts of the north? It doesn’t help in this modern economy,” he stressed.

He further pointed out that the long hours spent on poor roads not only increase fuel and maintenance costs for transport operators but also affect the health and productivity of travellers.

“Do you know the kind of health issues people are going through just because they move between two regions in this country?” he said.

Mr. Boateng also expressed concern over the absence of an effective railway system that could reduce the travel time between key economic corridors.

“There isn’t a single railway train that can move people from Accra to Kumasi in minutes. We don’t have that — and that’s just for people. Now think about goods,” he stressed.

The economic analyst backed recent calls by the Education Minister in Parliament for better infrastructure, agreeing that improved road and transport systems are essential to Ghana’s development.

He reiterated that without significant improvements in transportation, the government’s broader economic goals, including lowering the cost of living and boosting industrialisation, will remain difficult to achieve