By Comfort Sena Fetrie-Akagbor
Tema, Sept. 21, GNA — Some parents and guardians in Tema have expressed concern over rising prices of school supplies they are purchasing for their children and wards preparing to enter Senior High Schools (SHSs).
The concerns came as parents and prospective first-year SHS students thronged the Tema Central Market and other trading centres to purchase items ahead of the reopening of schools.
A Ghana News Agency (GNA) visit to the markets showed that prices of some commonly purchased school items had increased compared with last year, with parents having to bargain with traders to remain within their budgets.
Among the items were chop boxes and trunks, mattresses, school bags, uniform materials, footwear and stationery.
A chop box or trunk, which sold for about GH¢270 last year, was being sold for between GH¢300 and GH¢330 at some shops, while student mattresses, which previously sold from about GH¢250 depending on the density, were being sold from GH¢280.
The price of some large school bags had also increased from about GH¢100 to GH¢150.
Madam Salomey Sugaa, a parent, said the increases had placed an additional financial burden on parents, particularly at a time when they were required to purchase several items within a short period.
Madam Mawusi Semanu, another parent, said the prices were high but parents had little choice because the items were required for their children’s admission to school.
She alleged that some traders were taking advantage of the peak period to increase their profit margins.
Mr Kojo Annan, also a parent, shared similar concerns, saying some traders increased prices because they knew parents had to purchase the items before their children reported to school.
The traders, however, attributed the price increases largely to higher costs from manufacturers and distributors.
Mr Ametefe Serlom, a mattress trader, explained that manufacturers and distributors set the mattress prices, resulting in relatively small profit margins for retailers.
Mr Serlom said that the high prices had also affected sales, as many parents were bargaining extensively before making their purchases.
He stated that traders did not determine the prices of mattresses, particularly, because they purchased them from manufacturers and distributors at prevailing prices.
Another trader, Ms Kesewa Boboo, said the presence of temporary sellers who entered the market during the peak school-shopping period had also affected the business of established school-item retailers.
She said some people who normally did not trade in school supplies entered the market during the season to take advantage of increased demand, thereby intensifying competition.
GNA observed that parents and students continued to move from one shop to another in search of affordable items, with some comparing prices before making purchases.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Kenneth OdengAdade
Reporter: Comfort Sena Fetrie-Akagbor, GNA
Email: [email protected]