Families across Northern Bahr el Ghazal state are complaining about economic hardships they face in their daily lives, saying they are unable to access food for their family due to skyrocketing prices in their local markets.
“There is no positive change in living conditions, life is not easy here,” said Lila Anguil, a young woman in Aweil Town. “Although the price of 3.7 kilograms of dura has dropped from 1,500 to 1,000 SSP in the last few months due to the local farm produce, life is still hard.”
Anguil, who is a government employee in the state, said she earns 700 SSP monthly and she is unable to buy a dura of 3.7kgs at the price of 1,000 SSP.
“It would have been better if the price of 3.7kgs of dura was reduced to 250 SSP, for the local citizen like me to afford,” said Anguil.
Abuk Garang, another resident of Aweil South County, said they are really facing deplorable conditions because all items in the market are being charged with a lot of money due to the hiking prices compared to the past.
“The prices are so expensive and for 3.7 kilograms of dura is bought at 1,500 SSP, 1 kilogram of wheat flour is 1,000 SSP, 1 kilogram of sugar costs 1,000 SSP,” said Abuk.
The local resident called on the traders to reduce the price of 3.7 kg of the dura to 500 SSP, saying they are suffering because they don't have any other sources of income to support their lives.
“Yes, prices are high due to heavy rains that cancelled the roads movement and the issue of US dollar. Those are problems here in Aweil,” said Ahmed Abdul-Karim Abdun, a Sudanese trader in Aweil. “We have trucks from Juba spent more than 20 days on the road and two Lorries from Sudan have just arrived.’’
Abdun said traders are experiencing two major issues in the state, the suspension of all commercial roads by floods and access to US dollar.
According to Abdun, the price of 50kgs of flour was 30,000 SSP and now is 23,000 SSP, 50kgs of sugar was 25,000 SSP and now it is sold at 22,500 SSP.
Currently, the US dollar exchange rate in South Sudan stands around 50,000 SSP to 100 USD in the country’s black market.
Angelina Anyier, a housewife living in Gokmachar of Aweil North County, told Radio Tamazuj that the prices in 2018-2019 were better compared to this year 2020. She said 1 kg sugar was 80 SSP, 3.37kg of dura was 300 SSP and this year, prices have gone higher.
“All things are too costly,” Anyier said. “3.7kgs of dura is 800 SSP, 1kg of sugar is 600 SSP, and 3.7 kgs of flour is 1,500 SSP.”
Anyier further complained that she is working with the government and her salary is so little to support her family with current prices compared to those working for NGOs.
Abraham Garang, a South Sudanese trader based in Warawar market, a border town between Sudan and South Sudan where many goods transited to the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, said the hiking market prices came as a result of the suspension of Mairam-Majok road due to insecurity and the inaccessibility of dollars from the black market.
“There are a lot of problems happening to us, the problem of the dollar; there are no good roads because Juba-Aweil and Mairam-Aweil roads are still closed,” Garang said. “The few goods available in the area are imported from Amiet market in Abyei and Western Bahr el Ghazal State.”
The local trader in the Warwaar market said the current rate of 100 US dollars stands at 50,000-48,000 SSP in the black market.
“The government is the one having responsibility on the issue of the dollar exchange rate and roads, we are waiting for the government what it will do on those issues,’’ said Garang.
Kuel Aguer Kuel, the Vice-Chancellor for Starford International University in Juba, said the collapse of the country’s economy was caused by many reasons which included the government's decision to shut down oil production in 2012, the fall of crude oil prices at the world market and the conflict which erupted in mid- December 2013. He said those reasons, therefore, hampered the economic progress in the country.
“To recover the failing economy in the country, the government has to employ the little money it has in reserves in order to raise the value of the South Sudanese Pound (SSP) against the United States Dollar,” Kuel said.
For his part, Malong Deng Nyuany, Northern Bahr el Ghazal Chamber of Commerce Chairperson said the governor grants some traders with items in affordable prices aiming to reduce the high local market fares.
“Things dropped because the governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state works very hard these days by buying the 50kgs bag of flour with 22,000 SSP and giving it to the traders with 18,000 SSP,” Deng said. “The government loses 8,000 SSP per 50kgs.”
Deng appreciated his governor for his commitment to addressing price instability caused by inflation and poor roads.
Awar Deng, a citizen in Warawar Payam in Aweil East County, said the food item prices began to drop slowly compared with the last few months.
“I am fine and thank God, prices started reducing slowly not like before. The 3.7 of dura is 600-700 SSP. The sugar is still expensive but from July-August things were too expensive,’’ said Deng.
Kuel, the economist, further recommended that the governments seek foreign debts in terms of hard currency to supply the central bank to enable traders to import food items from neighbouring countries. According to the expert, the exercise can be done through an allocation of 20 billion barrels of crude oil to friendly countries that can provide hard currency for a period of two months.
The expert also called for proper utilization of non-oil revenues such as taxations and other important incomes.
Kuel further urges the government to cut most of the national expenditures and prioritize basic things such as import of food items rather than buying high expensive vehicles and empowering the agricultural bank in order to fund local farmers’ cooperatives to take the lead in food production to avoid import expenses from foreign states.
Aluel Aleu, another resident of Apada Payam in Aweil Centre, said her living conditions are painful despite her tireless efforts to cook small foods for marketing purposes.
“We don’t have any work and my living condition depends on the market,” Aleu said. “My real work is selling of millet porridge, this is the one I invest alongside cakes, this is how I live.’’