Kumasi coffins makers say they are driven out of Burkinabe affairs

Regional News from Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Source: 3news.com

2019-01-22

Kumasi coffins makers in the Ashanti region claim that some Burkinabés are gradually forcing them into bankruptcy.

According to them, access to wood for the production of coffins is becoming increasingly difficult as Burkinabés pay Ghana's wood processors higher prices for raw wood.

Given this, cask manufacturers claim that wood processors, especially those in Kumasi, prefer to sell their products to Burkinabe, who now enjoy preferential treatment in the domestic timber market.

About 200 casket manufacturers in the Kumasi Asafo Labor enclave claim that the situation has forced part of their population to settle elsewhere in the metropolis.

Kwabena Sarpong, president of the Coffin Makers Association, told 3news.com that if the situation was not verified, the country's carpenters would soon be bankrupt.

"Access to wood is a major factor affecting the progress of our business. When you go to the Sokoban wood village, you can see stilts on wood, all bought by the Burkinabe, because they have money and buy the wood at higher prices, "he said. .

According to him, "the sellers of wood are always eager to sell them to the Burkinabés and that affects us," he lamented.

Kwabena Sarpong told 3news.com that the price depended on the type of wood and decorative materials used.

The cost of a casket is determined by the type of wood and the materials used
"As for the coffins, we sell them from 400 to 4000 cedis. When you want a coffin, we ask for the type of wood and the design that will determine the price, but at least, with 400 cedis, you will get a coffin from us, "he said.

At the same time, they appeal to the government to help them find a permanent place to operate.

"The areas in which we are currently working do not encourage us to train even more young people because of lack of space. If the government can help us as it has helped the carpenters of Anloga Junction and transferred them all to Sokoban Wood Village, we will be grateful, "said Sarpong.

He added that they had identified a parcel of land in Kaase and that with the help of the government, they could secure it in a permanent enclave for all Asafo coffins producers and from other parts of the metropolis.