Prices of commodities drop after Christmas celebration in Yambio
January 15, 2016 (YAMBIO) – Prices have fallen slightly after sky-rocketing during Christmas and New Year holidays in the South Sudanese town of Yambio, officials have said.
The acting chairperson of Chamber of Commerce in Yambio county of the newly created Gbudue state has confirmed the slight drop in prices of imported commodities for the past ten days after their rise during Christmas and New Year celebration in Yambio.
John Daniel said over fifteen big trucks from Uganda arrived in Yambio this week with high demanded commodities like flour, sugar, soap, bottled water, etc, which he said have greatly dropped the prices of commodities in the market.
He said examples of some commodities such as box of soap which was over 500 South Sudanese pounds (SSP) has dropped to 400 SSP. A bag of sugar which was over 1,000 SSP has reduced to 950 SSP and a crate of beer which was over 700 SSP reduced to 500 SSP after arrival of the commodities in Yambio.
Daniel added that the little commodities they have received from the traders will serve for some time even if it is not enough for the whole community in Yambio and despite the economic problem people are facing in the country.
He also blamed the previous high prices on insecurity in the area including looting of property.
“The security of the road from Western Equatoria State to Uganda was not safe due to looting, burning of vehicles and killing of traders resulted to no vehicles could pass unless by escort of SPLA or Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) from Yei to Yambio and other part of the country,” he said.
He also said lack of dollars in the state made the situation worse where they could not access dollars to go to Uganda to purchase goods.
“Despite the slight drop in prices of commodities in Yambio market, the local food items continue to rise because most people did not cultivate or harvest their crops due to conflict in the state since July 2015 between some element of SPLA forces and the local community which resulted to over hundred [people] killed, properties looted, rape and houses are set ablaze,” he said.
He urged the government of South Sudan to do what it can in order to fix the “economic war” which has inflicted bad on the local community as they could not afford to cope with the market prices now in the country.
He also urged the community to promote peace and engage in cultivation, saying starvation was expected this year in South Sudan.
The official also cautioned those causing insecurity in the area to choose dialogue rather than violence which he said created a gap in development and open way for poverty and hunger on the innocent people.
“People should choose hard work [rather] than laziness as to fight the economic war which people of South Sudan have created in fighting each other,” he said.
(ST)