Prices soar as hard currencies dwindle in Jonglei
March 27, 2015 (BOR) – Residents of South Sudan’s Jonglei state are feeling the impact of the hard currency crisis, as prices of goods and services continue rising.
The situation, analysts say, can be attributed to the global drop in oil prices, leading to inflation, low production and shortages of goods.
Most traders admit they can hardly do much to save the situation.
Hammed Ali, a prominent trader in Bor town, said they usually increase prices depending on dollar prices in a particular period.
“The problem is dollar, you cannot get dollar, and if you get, you can get it at the high price, this affects everything”, said Ali.
For instance, a 50kg bag of sugar, which initially cost about 100 SSP before the crisis broke out in 2013, now goes for 300 SSP or more.
“One would think that dollar problem is something that could be solved at the state government’s level, which is not the case,” said Deng Akuei, the executive director of Bor municipality council.
Akuei, however, concurs that it is the responsibility of the national government to ensure the biting hard currency crisis is put to an end.
“Price changes are always a government policy, and it cannot be done at the lower level like here in the municipality council. The government of South Sudan has not done anything about it,” he said.
Many small traders now fear they could easily fall out of business.
(ST)