The alarming rising prices of commodities in South Sudan
“Honor is the morality of superior men.”
By Abel Majur Leek, Bor, Jonglei State
February 20, 2016 (SSB) —- I am one of those men who hardly go near the kitchen or go to the part of markets where food items are sold. I am quite aware that many South Sudanese men do not do the opposite. Likewise, a reasonable number of the highly placed women do same. They do not go to buy food stuff by themselves in nearby markets.
For many of the manhood, it is one of the primary assignments of the wife to take care of the kitchen necessities. But I have taken it a responsibility to, from time to time, discuss domestic issues relating to all aspects of my family wellbeing.
I am also not of the types who specify certain amount for every household demand. In most cases, I give certain amount of money, according to my income, to my wife. She is free to use and retire it. Once she retires it, I give her more money without questioning, except if I suspect otherwise. And in most cases, it is the low income earners who bother so much on their expenditures.
However, it may be after a day, a week or a fortnight that I give money to my wife for housekeeping. But I know that many people have monthly budget for the household keeping, save for emergencies.
But recently, I have observed that she asks for money more often than before. So when I sat down with her and listened carefully about her experiences in the market, I was not only shocked but was also angered by the way the South Sudanese big men spoil our market to the detriment of the masses. The case is that the price of everything is rising and there is little hope for income increase by South Sudanese.
Revelations on food stuff show that even the staple stuffs have gone up in prices. Count them: garri, yam, tomato, onion, fish, flour, sugar, beverages, and others. The irony of this is that even the poor South Sudanese do not often differentiate between the time of scarcity and the time of abundance. Some people always think that the increase of ten or twenty pounds on the prices of any commodity makes no difference. And because most South Sudanese are of the types who either do not care of the impact of these increases on the generality of the citizenry, or they are always in hurry for no just cause, the traders make the increases at will.
One thing that justifies this claim is that some people do not even attempt to bargain in markets. Either because they pretend to be “big men or women”, because the traders will employ their sugar-coated tongues to address them as “Beny or Akuma ‘’, or just because they feel the increases are insignificant. This is why the traders make jest of the customer.
A shop can sell a bottle of oil for 40 SSP compared to old price which was 10 SSP, while the one adjacent to it will sell the same quantity and quality for 100 SSP or even above. The trader who sells higher will have no impressive explanation other than the claim that he bought his from a far distance and so the transport fare for the goods is added up.
Still, one sees people hurriedly patronizing such traders with the claim that they are customers.
The prices of beans, yam, onion, potato, flour, among others have added by over thirty percent. One can even observe this on the streets all 28 states as the hawkers have drastically reduced the quality and quality of their wares with the claim to meet up with other life demands. The prices of sugar, tooth paste and other toiletries are on steady increase.
Bread is also steadily increasing in prices. The case of bread reminds me of the drastic demonstration the people of Egypt carried out against their government because of the increase of five piastres on the prices of their local bread called “aish” in the 1980s. Despite explanations given by the government, the masses fully supported by the middle class and a good number of the well-off grounded the civil activities.
This forced the government to recant its policy, added to the establishment of citizen consumer minimarts which sell commodities to the citizens at steadily subsidized prices. The establishment of such outfits which were always fully equipped and ready to serve the people overpowered the greed of independent traders to exploit the citizens.
These public minimarts directly controlled prices and traders had no option than to make insignificant increase in prices in the areas where the government markets are not immediately situated or sell even less in order to attract patronage. Can this happen in South Sudan?
In transport, one is shocked at the indiscriminate increase by transporters both for the inter-city and intra-city journeys. It is surprising that civil servants die in silence in this country. This is why many of them would leave their homes as early as 4.00 am for two reasons: to beat for their daily life.
To round it off, there is urgent need for government to secure the trio of life for the citizens: food, clothing and shelter. Why should there be increase in the prices of commodities without any just cause? For the past three and half years, the prices of petroleum products especially fuel have been steady was very low compared to now.
The worth of the money should be in the ability to make little savings at the end of the month. It is only when the prices of commodities are strictly controlled that this will be possible. And when it happens, assuredly, it will put smiles on the faces of the people, enhance productivity and dedication in the civil service and, in no small way, reduce corruption in the country. The authorities must look into this.
The writer can be reach via Email:abeleek2@gmail.com
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