The Ghana Drunkards Association has issued a three-week ultimatum to the government, demanding a reduction in the prices of alcoholic beverages or face a massive nationwide protest from its reported 16.65 million members.
In a video posted on X on Sunday, June 15, 2025, a man identified as Moses Obuah, believed to be the association’s leader or spokesperson, said the government must act swiftly in response to the recent appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi, which he said should have led to a reduction in alcohol prices
“To date, the prices of alcoholic drinks keep going up. If you purchase alcohol, there is an increment of about 15%, and this affects vendors,” Obuah stated.
“We’ve learnt that the cedi has gained some strength and the price of some items has been reduced. However, the cost of alcohol remains high,” the association’s representative states.
“We are therefore calling on President John Dramani Mahama and his Minister for Trade and Industry to do something about the prices.
“We have given them a three-week grace period to meet us so we can deliberate on how to reduce the prices of alcohol. We are not making this call for only alcoholic drinks but for the non-alcoholic ones as well.
“If the grace period is over and there’s no action, about 16.6 million members nationwide will stage a demonstration.”
The warning follows a remarkable rebound by the Ghanaian cedi in 2025, which has appreciated nearly 50 per cent against the US dollar, making it the best-performing currency globally so far this year.
Bloomberg data shows the cedi opened the year at about ₵15 per dollar and now trades close to ₵10.
The association argued that this currency strength should translate to lower prices for imported goods, including alcohol—something they say has not happened.
The government and the Ministry of Trade and Industry have yet to respond to the Association’s ultimatum or indicate willingness to engage in the requested dialogue regarding alcohol pricing policies.
