By Lawrence Quartey, The Africa Report
An acute shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Ghana for the past five months has led to a sharp rise in the demand for charcoal and firewood countrywide.
Prices of charcoal and firewood have increased by an average of 20 percent in the last five months.
A mini bag of charcoal that sold at $18.00 five months ago in the eastern region now costs about US$30.
In the capital Accra a large sack of charcoal, which used to cost US$$120 now fetches US$150.
Saratu Nuhu, a charcoal dealer told The Africa Report that she now sells as much as 25 bags of charcoal a day.
Before the crisis, Saratu at times failed to sell a single bag of charcoal.
Attah Owusu the manager of the country’s Forestry Servics Division warned that if the shortage persist they will result in the destruction of the environment
But Energy Minister Dr Oteng Adjei said the crisis would be permanently solved when the west African country starts producing its own gas in about two years.
LPG is heavily subsidised by the Ghana government.
Source
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