Shops in Awerial County in eastern Lakes State have been closed and three traders arrested after traders refused to follow a directive to reduce prices for their goods. The town clerk had ordered businessmen, many of them from Darfur, to revise their prices downwards.

Speaking to Radio Miraya, Town Clerk David Monyeil said he ordered for the closure of the shops until the traders adhere to the instruction. Monyeil says three traders have been arrested for challenging police who had been sent to implement the directive.

“I sent policemen to go and make an advertisement of the new prices and they were about to fight with those policemen. So I confirmed in Juba that a bag of green beans is 350 SSP and here the price is 600 SSP for one bag, so that’s why I called them and told them to set their prices at 400 SSP.”

“Now, they refused and said they cannot reduce their prices – so that’s why I closed the market yesterday and nothing worked.”

He further threatened to expel the traders to another county should tey continue to refuse to change their prices. “If they don’t accept, they can go to Yirol or another county,” he said.

Meanwhile, traders in Juba complained that the value of the South Sudanese pound continues to drop, making it difficult to get hard currency to import goods.

The Central Bank has been printing money to cover government spending deficits, Radio Tamazuj reported last month. The money supply has increased by billions, meaning that there are more South Sudanese pounds in circulation and each pound has less value than before. 

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