Ghanaian businesswoman and media personality, Bridget Otoo, has noted that there has been a surge in the cost of a bag of cement, which is currently going for GHC104.

At the beginning of the year, a bag of cement was selling at ¢95.00 in certain regions, including the Accra/Tema Municipalities.

In a post on X platform, Bridget Otoo gave a view of how the cement industry is faring and what may be leading to the surge in price.

She wrote: "The reality has dawned on customers. That a bag of cement is 104 cedis. The least price for a quality cement of the 42.5R could be around 94 cedis. Even the Chinese ones are 87 cedis. Add transportation of between 3-4 cedis per bag … and do the math."

Three months ago, Trade Minister K.T. Hammond expressed shock over the cost of the building material.

The Minister urged the industry to recognize the widespread effects of price escalation.

He emphasized the need to closely monitor and control the recommended ex-factory price margins of distributors and retailers across the country.

To stabilize prices, key measures were agreed upon, including individual companies publishing recommended distribution and retail prices for various grades of products in their respective distribution zones.