Both traders
and consumers are expressing concern about the sudden rise in prices of basic
food commodities in The Gambia.
The Point
Newspaper has engaged traders over the reason for the sudden rise in prices of
basic commodities, with traders saying their businesses have been affected by
coronavirus.
In the same
vein, consumers have also raised concern over the sudden rise of prices and
thus called for government’s immediate action over the issue.
Consumers
have blamed traders on the sudden hike of basic commodities, while traders and
vendors are also complaining that importers are responsible.
“The prices
of basic commodities are very expensive and this is ongoing. The problem of the
rise of price of basic food commodities is due to the lack of price control in
the country,” says Amadou Korka Jallow, a trader in Bakoteh.
“We as traders don’t have any control of any
price of commodity, we always buy from importers and producers and sell based
on the price we bought them,” he explained.
Mariama
Mbowe, another trader in Bakoteh, said that the rise in the cost of basic
commodities in the country is not their fault, noting that they as traders
always price commodities based on how they buy it from importers and producers.
“We don’t
have any control over everything. We are selling because we only place price on
stuffs based on how we got it from the producers and importers. We want to call
on the support of government to dictate and control businesses and prices in
the country.”
Dan Njie, a
trader in Banjul Albert Market, said it is true that the prices of food
commodities are very expensive noting that one of the reasons for the hike of
prices of commodities is because there is no price control in The Gambia.
“The ministry of Trade needs to come up with
strict measures on how to control price of businesses in the country. Some of
the big problems we face as traders are; we will go and buy things at certain
amount, and later, you go back again and found out that the price for that
commodity has increased just like that,” he noted.
Yusupha
Sidibeh, a consumer in Serekunda, said that soon they will reach to stage where
they (consumers) will not have enough money to buy things at the market if
government doesn’t act.
“The Gambia
is one of the countries that do not have any form of price control. Businessmen
and women will always come up with their own price of things without taking any
due process,” he said.
He added that
the government (trade ministry) should step up with measures before things go
out of hand.
Fatou
Conateh, another consumer in Bakoteh also calls on government to setup put a
price control immediately in the country, adding that with the way things are
going in the country, surviving will soon be very difficult for the poor in The
Gambia.
Meanwhile,
the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment this week
issued a statement acknowledging price hikes.
“The ministry
has conducted a consultative meeting with major importers as well as a market
research. These initiatives have revealed that the stocks of essential food
commodities are adequate for the coming months. The prices of most of the
brands of rice have also remained stable except the Horse Brand which has
increase from D1400 to D1600 per bag due to surge in demand for this particular
brand. In addition, the prices of all food commodities have remained stable,”
the ministry said in the statement.
“Currently,
the stocks of rice with the major importers in the country stood at 18, 214
metric tons and the expected stock for next week is estimated at 20, 000 metric
tons. The two combined is more than the two months’ average consumption level
for The Gambia,” it said.
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