Money

In the busy markets of Koforidua, a unique tradition has taken root among some traders.

As they set up their stalls each morning, a number of these ven­dors refuse to accept smaller currency denominations.

It is the belief of these group of traders that starting the day with such small transactions would af­fect sales and not make any profit.

This superstition, shared by trad­ers in other markets throughout the region, has become a habitu­al practice that influenced their customer interactions and financial management, particularly in the early hours of trading.

For these traders, whether the day would be profitable or not depends on the first transaction. If the initial transaction involved smaller denominations, they feared it would set a negative trend for the day, leading to insuf­ficient earnings.

To avoid this perceived misfor­tune, they turn away customers offering smaller bills or coins, preferring to wait for those with bigger denominations.

Madam Phyllis Boateng, a trader who believes in this superstition, explained to The Spectator that while the practice might seem irrational to outsiders, she firmly believes in the spiritual implica­tions of money.

“We don’t only engage in com­mercial sales; we also believe that money has spiritual effects, and your small amount can negatively affect my sales. Some customers might feel offended, but I think they can find alternative shops to buy from,” she said.

Aside the belief about the size of denominations, Madam Priscilla Zilevu, another trader, has taken additional measures to also protect herself from bad luck.

She mixes garlic and pepper with her money, believing that this would ward off negative effects on her sales.

“Sometimes the source of the money the customer is using to buy from you is not a good one and can drain you financially, so you have to protect yourself from some of these things,” she explained.

Not all traders share this belief though as Dora Appiah-Kubi, who does not believe in these, recount­ed her experiences with other traders who refuse small denomi­nations for their first sales.

Even taxi drivers, she noted, sometimes refuse exact fares like GH¢4.50 when starting their day, preferring larger notes.

However, a local preacher, Pastor John Amponsah, in Koforidua, Den­suano, said the belief was fasci­nating, emphasising that the Bible does not support such practices.

“Even though many describes money as spirit and the trader not knowing the source of it, I believe it is more about how that money was used,” he said.

Pastor Amponsah said some Christian traders adhere to this superstition and pointed out that there was no biblical basis for the position of the market women.

Instead, he advised traders to accept all kinds of denomination and pray over them, citing Prov­erbs 10:22: “The Blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow,” and the story of Jesus commending the woman who gave the least offering as examples to follow.

He urged traders to abandon this practice, accept all forms of currency, and place their faith in God’s provision, rather than suc­cumbing to superstitious fears.

 From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman