The price of cement shot up from 36,000 cedis to 39,000 cedis per bag in Wa at the weekend, fuelling allegations by some people that the increase was an attempt by the dealers to discredit the NPP administration.

Developers who went to buy the commodity were shocked when they were told that the price had risen by 3,000 cedis. Customers the Ghana News Agency interviewed said this was the first time in the last three years that the price had risen by such a wide margin.

Mr Sulemani Yahaya, a mechanic, said the price per bag of cement had been recording a yearly average increase of 1,000 cedis in the town even under the NDC government when inflation figures were very high.

"We do not understand what necessitated the recent increase by the cement dealers. We know where most of them belong and may want to give the government a negative tag." Most customers the GNA spoke to at the cement shops expressed similar sentiments adding that if GHACEM had increased the price, it should be made public.

However, a spokesman for the cement dealers, Mr Yunusah Sahanun attributed the sharp rise to an increase in the factory price by GHACEM - from 28,150.65 cedis to 30,290.09 cedis per bag.

Mr Sahanun said they had adjusted their prices to reflect the new price coupled with the difficulties they encounter in hiring cargo trucks to cart the cement from Tema to Wa.

He said because of the poor condition of the Bole-Bamboi portion of the Wa-Kumasi road, drivers are often reluctant to ply the road. "When you are lucky to get a truck to convey your consignment, you are charged 6,000 cedis per bag."

He said some drivers simply say "no" on the mention of Wa as the destination and prefer to ply other routes like Tamale and Bolgatanga that have tarred roads. The spokesman said some articulated truck drivers have had their vehicles taken away by their owners after conveying cement to Wa. He appealed to the government to heed the call of the people of the Upper West to tar the Bole-Bamboi road.