It has been reported that coffin and casket manufacturers in Ghana’s Ashanti region of Kumasi will start raising their prices in the following weeks to come.
Due to the increased cost of raw materials such as fillings, nails, wood, saws, and textiles used to line coffins, producers have stated that they will need to raise their prices.
As the price of essential goods like wheat and cooking oil climbs, bakery businesses are feeling the strain.
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When News outlets visited some of the coffin builders’ workshops in Asafo, a Kumasi suburb, they grumbled about the outrageous cost of raw materials.
They claimed that in order for the business to continue making a profit, the rising cost of manufacturing requires an increase in casket prices.
Due to the rising cost of living, as well as the rising prices of electricity and gasoline, the majority of local businesses are in danger of failing.
Coffin manufacturer Agya Appiah, who has been in the business for almost 30 years, tamented as follows:
“I was an apprentice in 1992, but now I run my own business. The fabric we use to decorate the casket I bought for ¢200 on Friday, I was told today to pay ¢240. I couldn’t buy it, so I had to come home to solicit the remaining amount.
He went ahead to iterate that:
“Things are expensive, I would also not sell them [caskets] at a reduced price. All manufacturers here have come to a consensus to increase and stick to one price, latest by next week.”
“This casket is called ‘Abenwaha’, with a price range of ¢1,500 to ¢2,000. But now, If I don’t sell it at ¢2,800, I may not be able to accrue my profit,” he concluded.
