Ghanaian legal scholar raises concerns about rising cost of living and income disparity
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, a US-based Ghanaian legal scholar, has highlighted Ghana's escalating cost of living, citing a GH垄5,000 return flight between Accra and Kumasi as an example, which is nearly double the estimated average monthly salary of GH垄2,580. In a Facebook post on August 20, 2026, Kwaku Azar acknowledged that air travel is not a universal necessity but questioned the lack of affordable and convenient alternatives, noting that road travel between the two cities can take five to six hours. He argued that this situation reflects a broader economic issue where prices for housing, rent, hotels, restaurants, and other essential services are increasingly detached from the incomes of ordinary Ghanaians. Kwaku Azar attributed these high prices to factors such as expensive financing, electricity costs, imported inputs, taxes, transport costs, and weak competition. He also linked rising prices to corruption and political patronage, suggesting that money from inflated contracts and procurement abuse distorts market prices, making goods and services unaffordable for those earning regular salaries. He also mentioned that members of the diaspora and foreign-currency earners contribute to price increases in some markets. Kwaku Azar called for investment in affordable alternatives, improved infrastructure, stronger competition, reduced business costs, and measures to combat corruption and rent extraction. He emphasized the need to increase productivity and household incomes
