In response, the Chairman of Parliament’s Works and Housing Committee, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, is calling on the Ministry of Trade and Industry and relevant regulatory bodies to act swiftly—particularly by monitoring distribution channels to curb profiteering.

He made the appeal during a working visit to three major cement producers—GHACEM, Dangote, and Dzata Cement—in Accra.

During the tour, it was observed that only GHACEM and Dangote were operational. Dzata Cement had paused production due to ongoing maintenance and expansion works, with no clear timeline for resumption.

The shortage is attributed to a combination of factors including limited local production capacity, unreliable power supply, and Ghana’s heavy reliance on imported clinker—the main raw material in cement production. Disruptions in global supply chains have further worsened the situation.

Stakeholders in the construction industry have raised the alarm over price hikes, noting that distributors—not manufacturers—appear to be driving inflation by hoarding products and charging excessive margins.

Despite the worsening crisis, the government maintains it cannot regulate cement prices, citing the influence of demand and supply dynamics.

However, some policymakers are pushing for temporary relief measures, such as the importation of finished cement products, to stabilize the market.

GHACEM Managing Director, Frank Huber, assured the Committee that new products would soon be introduced to support affordable building. He also hinted at possible price reductions once supply improves.

The cement shortage is already affecting the housing sector, with escalating construction and rental costs in urban areas.

As pressure mounts, stakeholders are urging manufacturers to increase production and calling on the government to ensure fair and transparent distribution of cement nationwide.

Chairman Vincent Oppong Asamoah reiterated that immediate intervention is necessary to prevent further strain on the building sector and to protect consumers from exploitation.

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This call was made during a site inspection of the Odawna drainage system under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.

The project, funded by a $200 million World Bank grant since 2020, aims to address perennial flooding challenges in Accra, particularly within the Odaw River basin.

According to Vincent Oppong Asamoah, plastic waste continues to clog major drains, undermining the project’s progress. He believes that a total ban on plastics would drastically improve the situation.

Supporting his position is a recent global Ipsos poll, which revealed that 85% of respondents support a global ban on single-use plastics, while 87% advocate for reduced plastic production. The poll also showed that 90% back a ban on harmful chemicals used in plastics, with overwhelming support for promoting reusable and recyclable alternatives.

Asamoah’s stance aligns with international calls for stricter, legally binding measures to combat plastic pollution—efforts championed by organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Plastic Free Foundation.

Meanwhile, the Ranking Member of the Works and Housing Committee, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, is advocating for the arrest and prosecution of individuals who deliberately dump refuse into drains, describing the act as criminal and a major contributor to the country’s flood problems.

The Galaies returned to the tournament for the first time since 2014 and were hoping to make an impact after securing qualification in grand style.

However, the team opened their campaign with a defeat 1-0 against debutants Madagascar before fighting back to record a 3-1 win over Sudan.

Ghana, however, were crashed out of the tournament after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Niger in the quarterfinal clash.

Reacting to the performance of the team led by Annor Walker as the head coach, the Member of Parliament for Dormaa East Constituency said the team had enough time to prepare for the tournament but their performance did not reflect their preparations.

According to him, the performance of the team was terrible.

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“It was a very terrible performance,” he told Asempa FM on the Sports Nite Program. “This was a team we gave ample time to prepare.

“They played as if they were meeting for the first time and it was very terrible.” 

Asked about the cause for such an abysmal performance, he said: “We are living in past glories. We cheat when it comes to the ages of the players. I know of this because it was happening during my time.”

In view of that he suggested that as a country “we need to be faithful and diligent in order to flourish.

“We need to be truthful to ourselves, give our players the right nutrition and medication, train our technical men well and shun age cheating.

“We need to be a bit professional and be very serious this time around.”

According to him, the real problem of the team is the fact that the team is no more special and not money as the president may be thinking.

The Member of Parliament for Dormaa West has backed his point with the fact that the Black Stars have always been pampered with money but have gone to tournaments and return with nothing.

“The time the players are given money is when they disappoint us, especially when we promise them huge sums, they will spend our money and perform abysmally, ” he said in a radio interview.

He said a call up to the senior national team should be a motivation for players but the team is no more special, hence, every ordinary player can be invited to play.

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“It is high time we got something else to motivate players than depending on money, you can even promise them $100 000 to win trophy and they will still fail,’’ he lamented.

He has urged the government to find ways to invest in other sporting activities than concentrating only football.