Cement prices hit GH¢108 despite Trade Minister’s directive to manufacturers

Prices from the dealers, as checked by GBC Ghana Online, revealed a sharp jump in prices from last week to this week, a situation that kept many buyers wondering. In May 2024, cement was going for about GH¢85 to GH¢90 depending on the brand and the ratio, but as of June 4, 2024, the price has moved to about GH¢110, according to dealers at Pokuase.

According to one dealer, Dzata cement of 42R is now GH¢108, Cimaf of 42R GH¢107 and the same brand of 32R is going for GH¢87, and Ghacem is said to be leading the market with Ghacem Ghacement GH¢110 when choosing 42R.

Further checks from other sources also say Diamond cement is sold at GH¢75 and GH¢85 whereas Dangote is between GH¢92 and GH¢94.

In less than a month, Kobina Tahir Hammond, the Minister of Trade and Industry, called for the immediate reversal of the recent increases in the prices of cement to ease pressure on Ghanaians, but it seems this has fallen on deaf ears, or perhaps the Minister has ignored the root causes of the price hikes.

In a statement released on Tuesday, May 15, the Ministry the Ministry asked the Cement Manufacturing Development Committee (CMDC) to carry out the instruction without fail.

The statement restated the Minister’s earlier call for the Committee to work with cement companies to ensure uniform cement prices nationwide.

The Committee, established under the Ghana Standards Authority (Manufacture of Cement) Regulations, 2023 (Ll 2480), is the regulator of cement manufacture in the country.

It is, therefore, responsible for promoting the manufacturing, wholesale, and retail of cement and cement components.

Its membership includes representatives of cement manufacturers, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana Institution of Engineers, MoTI, and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.