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Countdown to Christmas …traders optimistic in spite of low purchasing power
With barely two days to Christmas, a significant number of people have stormed various market centres in Accra to make last minute purchases ahead of the long holidays.
Owing to the general economic situation, it had been predicted that the festive season may not be bubbly like previous years and that exactly seems to be the case.
While some centres were busy attending to customers, same could not be said about other places as some traders complained of low patronage.
Goods ranging from colourful outfits, gift hampers, edibles, and decorative items were displayed but the purchasing power of potential customers had fallen.
The Spectator toured some market centres in Accra where some women were dressed purposely to catch the attention of potential customers.
Some had switched from selling their usual items to dealing in products they thought would be bought quickly. The response of clients seemed unfavourable as some of them feared they may run at a loss.
One of the traders, who sold ladies’ bags, said she was expecting to make some good sales but prospective buyers were merely window shoppers and she could not differentiate the festive season from ordinary days.
Apart from the activities in Accra, our Reporter Alberto Norreti Mario reports that there has been a remarkable increase in the number of customers scrambling to buy food and various Christmas items from the various shopping centres in the Ho Municipality.
The Stadium Gate Supermarket, for instance, has pledged to commit resources and recruit people with physical disabilities (PWD) as well as other young people to perform various social responsibilities with proceeds accruing from the sales during the season.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the supermarket, Mrs Victoria Letsa said that the shopping centre was looking into the possibility of building a decent park for children, in the regional capital, Ho.
She said that customers who were flocking to the shopping centre were showing interest in Christmas cards and trees, toys and various festive gifts and decorations. “Others are also doing window shopping for now,” Mrs Letsa added.
In response to the high demand from customers, she said the shop would recruit 10 more casual workers to add to existing 90 employees, adding that the daily average of 150 customers recorded had suddenly jumped to 300.
“Our motive is not only to make profit all the time, but we are also highly concerned about the welfare of communities, and so we will continue to render humanitarian services to the less privileged, especially during the Christmas season,” she said.
By Spectator Reporter
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
