The Vice President of the Ghana Progressive Road Contractors Association, Hammond Larbi, has called for a substantial reduction in cement prices, stressing that the current cost is a heavy burden on contractors and ordinary Ghanaians.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Larbi revealed that a bag of cement is currently selling at GH₵120, a price he described as “exorbitant” and detrimental to the execution of contracts nationwide.
“This GH₵120 per bag price is exploitative and unjust to the average citizen,” he stated, arguing that a fairer price would be significantly lower than what is currently on the market.
His comments echo concerns raised earlier by the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, who also lamented the impact of high cement prices.
While the Minister suggested GH₵95 as a fairer rate, Mr. Larbi insisted that even that was too high.
“The Minister says 95 cedis, but I believe it can be lower. We should be buying it for 70 cedis,” he said.
Mr. Larbi further noted that recent economic gains—such as the appreciation of the cedi from GH₵16 to GH₵10 against the dollar and the drop in fuel prices—should have triggered a corresponding reduction in cement prices.
“Even now that the dollar has dropped, manufacturers have refused to bring the price down. The 95 cedis proposed by the Minister is still too much. It should be about 70 cedis, not just for contractors but for all cement users,” he stressed.
Accusing manufacturers of unfair pricing, he disclosed that despite previous engagements with the association, producers continue to cite exchange rate pressures to justify the high prices.
Mr. Larbi therefore urged the government to intervene, arguing that aligning cement prices with current economic conditions would ease the burden of construction costs across the country.
By Gertrude Otchere
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