Report By Andy ODOOM

The people of the Central Region are up in arms over the sudden and astronomical increases in the price of kerosene in the region. Investigations by the Daily Searchlight shows that kerosene is now selling at GH ¢10.00 (¢100,000 in the old currency) per gallon instead of the national price of GH¢4.10 that is ¢ 41,000 in the old currency.

When this reporter toured some parts of the region, it was revealed that, the infraction was as a result of the scarcity of the product.

It was also revealed that only a few filling stations have stock of the kerosene, but they are hoarding it and selling it to some individuals at the cost of GH ¢ 8.00 that is ¢ 80,000 in the old currency per gallon and they also retail it for a GH¢ 10.00, ¢100,000 in the old currency.

It was also established that, these individuals spent a lot of money to travel to Togo to smuggle the kerosene into the country, hence the 'cut-throat 'price of the product.

This situation has propelled a lot of people at Kasoa and its environs to abandon their businesses to engage in this lucrative business.

It is in this vain that the people are asking: if our neighboring countries have managed to stock their filling stations with the products why is Ghana not using the same mechanisms to get kerosene for the people?

These unsavory shortages and the price hike have largely affected the life of the people of Kasoa and surrounding villages, pushing prices of food stuff up.

The people are calling on the government to as a matter of urgency come to their aid since most of them are unable to buy the kerosene in these hard times of the economy.