Prices for basic commodities have been on the rise in Bor town, Jonglei state, since last week, residents have said.
As of Friday, a 20-liter jerrycan of cooking oil shot up to 20,000 from 16,000 SSP, while a 25-kilogram bag of dry beans and rice now sell at 9,500 SSP from 8,000 respectively.
Several Bor residents told Radio Tamazuj over the weekend that they cannot afford the new commodity prices.
Achol Ayii said the people are suffering.
“A sack of sugar used to be 15,000 SSP but it is now 20,000. This increase is too much. People are suffering and we cannot really afford,” Ayii lamented.
Kur John, another Bor resident, called on the government to intervene, saying the price hikes have negatively impacted the cost of living in the town.
For his part, the deputy secretary-general for the state chamber of commerce, Ayuen Kur Ajok, attributed the rise to low commodity supplies.
“The increase is caused by delays to clear haulage trucks at the Nimule crossing point and multiple taxes, so this made the supplies decrease,” he said.
Kur however said they will engage the government to stabilize the commodity prices.