The lead producer and distributor of toiletries, personal care and food products in Ghana and other parts of the West Africa sub-region, Lexta Ghana Limited, has put on hold sales of all products until further notice – in order to adjust prices due to current economic conditions.
The implementation of this directive means in the short- to medium-term, products such as Yazz sanitary pads, toilet tissue, washing powder, laundry detergent, baby diapers, wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, tissues, dish-wash/hand-wash liquid soap, kitchen paper towels, among other Yazz products will be in short supply on the market.
According to an internal communique issued by management to all employees of the company that the B&FT is privy to, due to the cedi’s current depreciation against the dollar, effective immediately, all sales and supplies are on hold until further notice.
This goes to further say that all approved orders are cancelled and will only be supplied when sales resume with new trade prices.
“Management is regrettably sorry to inform you that due to the current cedi-depreciation against the dollar, effective immediately, all sales and supplies are on hold until further notice. This decision is not easy for us to take, but circumstances beyond our control demand this adjustment to stay in business.
“As a company that imports we are greatly hit by the current economic situation, and we hope you will bear with us in these difficult times,” the statement read.
The importance of toiletries in day-to-day living cannot be over-emphasised, as good personal hygiene is important for physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Who will be most-affected?
The directive from Lexta, if nothing is done to mitigate it, will affect women – especially adolescents and the marginalized in society – because most of these groups have developed a strong taste and desire for Yazz sanitary pads, especially because of their health benefits and affordability.
The prices of these products will increase after the artificial shortage that the company seeks to create; and this means young girls and marginalised groups will be made to pay more for these products in the face of current economic hardships. Already, civil society organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the health sector have lamented that sanitary products are too expensive for the girl-child; therefore, government must remove taxes on the products.
Lexta Ghana, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, annually donates sanitary pads to females in selected communities; and also organises a free breast cancer examination exercise for these communities, usually in the month of October which is globally regarded as Pink October – but due to these macroeconomic challenges, the exercise was not performed this year.
