‘Buyers Have No Money; We Are Sitting Idle’: Kantamanto Traders Appeal to Finance Minister Ahead of 2027 Budget

Traders at Accra’s Kantamanto Market say a deepening customer cash crunch has left them sitting idle at their stalls for hours, unable to sell goods even at prices that would merely recover their costs, in a stark illustration of the demand-side squeeze facing Ghana’s informal economy despite relatively stable inflation figures.

Susana Asabea, a trader at the market, told Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, November 11, that customers routinely slash quoted prices by half, insisting they have no money to pay the asking price. She appealed to Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to address the financial difficulties confronting households and traders in the 2027 Budget, scheduled for presentation to Parliament on Thursday, November 12 .

The Pricing Squeeze

Asabea described a trading environment where sellers who purchased stock at relatively high prices are now facing buyers offering substantially lower amounts—sometimes insisting on paying only the original purchase cost, or less.

“When you go and buy something with a high price and someone is coming to buy it, the amount you call to the person, the person reduces it half,” she said .

She offered a concrete illustration: an item bought for GH¢20 and offered for sale at GH¢25 might see a customer insist on paying GH¢10 or GH¢15. Accepting such an offer would leave the trader losing not only the expected profit but also part of the capital invested in the item .

“When you are selling and someone can’t buy, that means you are standing still. You are not moving forward,” she said .

A Demand Problem, Not a Price Problem

Asabea’s account exposes a distinction that macroeconomic data does not capture. Ghana’s inflation rate rose to 5.5 per cent in October 2026—the third consecutive monthly increase—but remains below the Bank of Ghana’s medium-term target of 8 per cent . On paper, price growth appears contained.

Yet contained inflation measures the pace at which prices rise; it does not measure whether households have the income to meet those prices. A trader facing a customer who cannot afford GH¢25 is experiencing a demand shock, not a price problem. Asabea put it plainly: “It has been a standstill (price stability), but it’s like the trade is not moving on” .

The inflation data itself offers clues. Food inflation declined to 2.8 per cent in October from 4 per cent in September, and month-on-month food prices actually fell by 2 per cent . But services inflation surged to 11.5 per cent from 8.3 per cent, and transport inflation jumped to 14.1 per cent from 5.7 per cent—meaning the cost of getting goods to market, and the cost of everyday services households rely on, are rising much faster than the goods themselves .

What the Budget May—and May Not—Deliver

The Finance Minister presents the 2027 Budget on Thursday against a backdrop of competing pressures. Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Ampem Nyarko has indicated the government will introduce no new taxes, instead relying on savings from expenditure rationalisation and spending cuts to finance flagship programmes .

The centrepiece is a US2 billion annually over four years from 2027 to 2030, targeting job creation in agriculture, textiles, pharmaceuticals, tourism and manufacturing. The government says it will be financed without new borrowing, partly by reducing the primary surplus target from 1.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP .

Whether such medium-term job creation measures will translate into cash in the pockets of Kantamanto’s customers in the near term is another question. Asabea’s appeal was more immediate: “The number one thing I would tell the Finance Minister is to release money into the system” .

She said traders needed customers with the means to buy, adding that increased purchasing power would help businesses generate sales, meet obligations and remain operational.

“They should help us. We need money to take care of our business, our children, and our family, and then to move forward in life. We are really suffering,” she said .

The Wider Picture

Kantamanto, one of West Africa’s largest second-hand clothing markets, employs thousands and serves as a bellwether for consumer demand in Accra’s informal economy. When traders there report customers cannot afford goods, it signals that household budgets are under strain even as headline inflation remains within target.

Asabea said the problem extends beyond the market, with people from different backgrounds and age groups complaining about their inability to afford goods and meet everyday expenses.

“When we go to the market, we just sit; they are not buying. Everybody is complaining,” she said .

She urged the Finance Minister to pay particular attention to buying and selling, arguing that the difficulties facing individual traders had wider consequences for the national economy.

“If we are not trading properly, how can the country move forward? The country can’t move forward,” she said .

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Reporter’s note: The 2027 Budget is scheduled for presentation on Thursday, November 12, 2026. The government has signalled no new taxes will be introduced . Kantamanto traders’ accounts reflect conditions as of November 11; the Budget’s actual contents were not yet public at the time of publication.