Something remarkable is happening in Ghana.
For the first time in a long while, the Ghanaian cedi is not in the news for its decline but for its dominance.
According to Bloomberg, the cedi is currently the best-performing currency in the world, appreciating by nearly 16% against the US dollar since April 2025.
This development has sparked renewed optimism and important conversations about the need for prices of goods and services to decrease.
Inflation is also trending downward, with April figures showing a drop to 21.2% from 22.4% in March.
Clearly, there is renewed hope that the Ghanaian economy is stabilizing and on the rise.
But while macroeconomic indicators look promising, something critical is missing: the impact of these gains must be felt in the markets, at fuel pumps, and in the pockets of ordinary Ghanaians.
At a time when the macroeconomic outlook is shifting toward stability, expectations must realign. This is not just an economic issue; it’s a matter of fairness.
When the cedi depreciated in the past, businesses—both large and small—quickly adjusted prices upwards. Prices of imported goods rose almost overnight. Transport fares increased.
Traders and service providers cited the fluctuating exchange rate as the reason for the hikes—and understandably so.
But now, with the cedi gaining strength and the dollar weakening, logic and fairness dictate that prices should decrease, not remain stagnant—and certainly not increase further.
That is why the recent announcement by Orca Deco, a well-known home and office furniture retailer, to reduce prices by 15% in response to the cedi’s strength, deserves both praise and attention.
In their own words, they believe this is the right moment to pass on the benefit to their cherished customers.
Orca Deco did not wait for public outcry or hide behind excuses like logistics or stock turnover.
They acted proactively and ethically, setting a standard for others in the business community.
Business ethics must reflect economic reality
If businesses can raise prices when the cedi weakens, they must also be willing to reduce prices when the cedi strengthens.
That is what equity demands, and that is what ethical business practice looks like.
But Orca Deco should not stand alone. Where are the others?
Where are the importers who once blamed the dollar for every price increase?
Where are the fuel distributors who adjusted prices with every dip in the cedi?
Where are the traders who passed every economic burden onto consumers?
There must be a sense of shared responsibility in how we respond to economic change.
The strength of a nation’s currency should not merely be a talking point for economists or a bragging right for the finance minister.
It must translate into real, tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.
We are therefore calling on all sectors of the Ghanaian economy—from retailers, service providers, importers, manufacturers, to transport unions—to reassess your pricing models.
Your prices must reflect the reality of our current exchange rate and economic trajectory.
Consumers must demand accountability
Consumers, too, must become more proactive. Raise your voices.
Ask the hard questions. Demand transparency and accountability. Let us not celebrate the cedi’s strength in headlines, only to deny its impact in the daily lives of Ghanaians.
It is time for a reset—not just of our economy, but of our mindset. As President John Dramani Mahama has consistently advocated, Ghana needs a leadership approach rooted in trust, fairness, and people-centered governance.
That same principle must apply to our business culture. In this legacy term of service, our vision is clear: economic transformation not only in GDP figures, but in market stalls, supermarket shelves, daily transportation costs, and essential services.
That is the Ghana we must strive for. And that is the fairness that must accompany every cedi gained.
