As Ramadan Approaches Price of Basic Commodities Still Hiking

The Daily Observer (Banjul)
NEWS
November 5, 2002
Posted to the web November 5, 2002

By Sunkary Sanjo
Banjul

It is a tradition in The Gambia that every year when Ramadan approaches,
the price of basic commodity like rice, sugar, oil, etc are reduced to the
barest minimum so that every Gambian will be able to afford them. But this
year, the circumstances speak differently. According to opinion poll
conducted by our reporter the price of basic commodities still remain sky-
rocketing as Ramadan approaches.

Stergas Herve Artant, a Lebanese businessman in The Gambia told our
reporter that they have no desire to trade at the present prices but that
because of market forces, they are obliged to do so.

"Gambians should realise that the high price of commodities in the country
is not caused by the local businessmen but by the weakness of the Dalasi
against major international currencies.

"The foreign exchange rates have gone up. Our desire is to make all people
able to afford what we are selling and not to victimise them." Fatou
Drammeh, a resident of Bakau lamented that the government should intervene
and help to tackle the problem because the Ramadan starts soon and prices
are still sky-rocketing.

"We are poor and we do find it extremely difficult to buy a bag of rice
which now costs D270. We are indeed appealing to the Jammeh administration
to come to our aid," she added.

Meanwhile, Gambians from the length and breadth of the country are
complaining of the high cost of basic commodities.

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