Artisans at the Suame Magazine industrial enclave are lamenting the current economic hardship is not only affecting their livelihoods but also their marriages.
They complain their marriages are on the verge of collapse due to their inability to cater for their families because of the rapid decline in sales. Hence most of their wives are jilting them.
Whilst pouring out their frustrations at Akoma Maakye’s Peoples’ Assembly Thursday, September 29, 2022, one of the artisans who looked angry and furious noted, “hikes in the prices of petroleum products, spare parts and the depreciating nature of the cedi has worsened our woes. Due to this, we can’t make enough sales so we are unable to take care of our wives and children. In fact, this current economic hardship is not only taking a toll on our livelihoods but also really affecting our marriages.”
Another artisan who described himself as Alhasan Alidu, a brake band repairer, disclosed that due to the low sales at the Suame Magazine enclave in recent times, all the fitters are converting to scrap dealers because none of them want to sit idle at the shop without any sales at the end of the month.
“We are dying so the government must reduce the numerous taxes on petroleum products to alleviate our plights,” he pleaded.
The artisans, therefore, called on the government and other stakeholders to stabilise the cedi and take off taxes on petroleum products as a way of cushioning them.
The People’s Assembly is a two-day public forum organised jointly by Akoma FM, Onua FM and Onua TV for residents of Kumasi to express their views on the current state of the Ghanaian economy and outline challenges they are faced with as citizens of the country.