Jassey Conteh,
The price increases are a mess. It is very unfortunate that the most affected are the poor. I hope the government could try to put a halt to such. It is true that the government tried to put a brake on it before, but I am not sure that is helping.
I think what President Jmmeh and the government need to do is to have some laws that would enhance and empower the Gambian business entrepreneurs with the ability to import and sell at the a more competitive market. Hopefully it is not going to be exploited by a few privileged as we see going on by a few wealthy businessmen at the moment. I do not think the old system of price controlling works, for history tells us that does bring hoarding and shortage of goods.
May be some of the economists here can tell us what is the best that could be done.
Ousman Jallow Bojang.
Jassey Conteh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Comrades:
Please read the following news from the Daily Observer. This really are tough in the Gambia.
"The ugly spectre of skyrocketing prices of essential commodities which gave Gambians so much headache in the summer seems to be rearing its head once again.
The prices for bread, rice, cement, even fish have gone up by leaps and bounds in the past few days. Bread now asks for D4.00 per loaf; a sack of non perfumed rice costs D420 in some parts of the Greater Banjul Area; cement in this part of the country costs D220 per bag. Reports reaching our newsroom say palm oil has surpassed D10 per cup, the prices of many other essential goods are up. Suprisingly, a bag of cement cost D160 in Farafenni on Sunday.
The poor Gambians are feeling the pinch, to say the least. In buses, bars, and ‘vous’, the rise in prices is the talk of town. The hikes are indeed hard to explain. The dollar is not appreciating against our Dalasi. So what is the problem?
Is it profiteering? We are not sure, but it seems that business people need to explain.
There has been a long respite from the price hikes since October when President Jammeh personally intervened to put a halt to what was in all sense a dangerous and painful increment in prices. Then we saw the price of a bag of rice drop from D400 to D365, for example. Then the price hikes were attributed to the fall in the value of the Dalasi as against the US Dollar and other major currencies. When the Dalasi stabilised following the crack down on street money changers, prices fell to tolerable levels.
Now it seems the vigilance that brought about such price reductions in October, needs to be brought back. The hikes in the past few days look poised to take us back to the bad days of galloping price increases.
Nothing has happened since October, not even the 10 per cent hike in the salaries of public servants have made Gambians ready for any new increment in prices for every day commodities.
All Gambians need to come together to put a swift halt to the trend; the business community has to rein in their price indexes. Government too must restore its vigilance on the economy so as to put profiteers on their toes.
It goes without saying however, that as long as we do not grow enough rice to fill our daily needs; or are able to locally manufacture the soap, cement, flour or oil we need, The Gambia shall remain vulnerable to all kinds of snap price rises caused by inflation, scarcity or simple profiteering. "
If this trend continues, I wonder want will happen in our country.
Naphiyo,
Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
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