The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has warned that inflation in the Upper West (UW) Region continues to soar as the region’s average price movement for goods and services has gradually increased over the last few months.
According to the GSS, the Upper West Region recorded an inflation rate of 16.8 percent in September, the highest inflation rate recorded among the 10 administrative regions on which the GSS currently reports. This rate is 6.2 percentage points higher than the national average of 10.6 percent recorded in September.
Also, Upper West recorded the highest Food inflation of 25.9 percent in September whilst its Non-Food inflation was 7.8 percent, the fourth highest in the Non-Food category.
Overall, Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages; Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics; and Furnishing & Household Equipment recorded higher inflation rates of 25.9 percent, 17.2 percent, and 10.0 percent respectively. Transport (-0.2%) and Restaurants & Accommodation services (-13.7%) recorded the lowest inflation rates in the Upper West Region in the month under review.
Within the food sub-classes, Cereal Products (45.1%), Vegetables (28.8%) and Live Animals & Meat (21.4%) were the major drivers of inflation in the UW Region in September. Water also recorded an inflation rate of 18.9 percent, which further highlighted the need for the government to streamline its efforts to make water available and accessible to the people in the region.
Of major concern, is the fact that Northern Ghana, which used to record lower inflation rates, now see the highest average price changes over the past few months. The worst of it, is the rising food inflation in this part of the country which is touted as the ‘food basket’. Within the Northern Belt, the Northern Region recorded the second highest inflation rate of 15.2 percent in September, followed by the Upper East Region with a rate of 10.2 percent.
