Parents Complain About High Cost of Books As Schools Re-open: Government Blamed For High Printing Cost

• Inflation has hit stationery in Ghana making it difficult for parents to buy the required books for their children to go school
• Basic schools begun re-opening in the second week of January 2023 but parents say the price tag on textbooks and exercise books have more than doubled
• Shop owners have blamed publishers but the publishers also blame the government for hiking the cost of duty they pay on imported goods they use for printing

Some parents have expressed frustration over their inability to purchase textbooks and exercise books due to their high cost as basic schools re-open in second week of January 2023.

Parents say they are unable to buy all the books for their children because the money they take to bookshops only cover a few books.

A Joy News report posted in Instagram captures parents in a video complaining bitterly about the high inflation that has hit stationery in Ghana.

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Some parents say the price have doubled, others say the cost of books have more than tripled. They have therefore resorted to buying only the textbooks they deem very important.

"I think I have exhausted my budget, the way the economy is...you buy what you have budgeted and when funds are available, then we buy the rest," one parent at a busy bookshop said.

Owners of bookshops have blamed publishers for the increased price tags on the books on their shops.

One shop owner said the higher cost books is a direct response to the new prices publishers quote for them.

"They should talk to the publishers to reduce the things," one shop owner said.

Meanwhile, the report explained that publishers have blamed the higher mark-up on the textbooks and exercise books on the high cost of production which has more than quadrupled.

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Increasing Rate Of Ghana's Goods And Services Jumps To Record 54.1%

Meanwhile, in a related story, YEN.com.gh reported recently that the increasing rate of goods and services in the country has hit a record 54.1%.

The figures which were released by the Ghana Statistical Service also revealed the main drivers of the high inflation rate in Ghana.

There’s however some good news as the rate of increase in inflation slowed down for the month of December.

Source: YEN.com.gh