Correspondence from Ashanti Region A section of traders in Kumasi have blamed the trading community for irregular price variability in Ghana. Speaking to GhanaWeb, the worried traders condemned the way and manner prices of commodities have been exaggerated by some traders, making life unbearable for the masses. They also blamed the government for failing to do the needful and regulate prices on the market. The prices of some key commodities in the country have been on the rise and the cost of food has increased astronomically. Though the traders have blamed it on hikes in international market prices on petroleum products and the level of the cedi depreciation to foreign currencies, some of them have admitted that the effects on prices of commodities have been exaggerated by some traders. Most of these traders who spoke to this reporter in some areas such as Krofrom, the New Kejetia market said, they least expected the president to add enforcement action to his speech where he called on traders to reduce profit margins. "You can't just ask people to reduce prices without first putting measures to reduce the cost of production and importation. You have to also regulate traders after doing the needful". They revealed. Additionally, some consumers who expressed their views on the president's current address to the nation over the economic hardship, expressed disappointment in the president's speech, indicating that they expected the president to put measures that can help reduce the prices of commodities on the market. They lamented that most of their expectations were turned down by the first gentleman of the land. "We expected the president to put measures that could help reduce commodity prices. A common oil which cost 400 cedis has now jumped to 1200 cedis. What at all is happening? Couldn't the president do anything about it? A young man quizzed. "We don't expect food to be expensive as we're experiencing today. Why do we have to allow people to price their items anyhow without regulating them?" Another man who identified himself as Mr. Osei lamented. "The president should have done something on the dollar and the cedi depreciation. We're indeed suffering". Mrs. Comfort Afrifa, a trader who spoke to this reporter blamed most of the hikes on her colleague traders where she called for stringent measures to regulate prices.