Traders in Juba have revealed that market prices have fallen within reach of consumers despite multiple taxations imposed by government agencies.
“The prices of the commodities for the last two months have been stabilised not like it used to be in some months back,” Sebit Angelo, the chairperson of Jebel Market revealed to The City Review in an interview yesterday.
He said the prices would have gone even lower had the traders not been subjected to the “unnecessary over-taxation and fines by Juba City Council’’.
Mr Angelo said a lot had changed since July 2021 following the lengthy strike by truck drivers which had negative impacts on market prices.
“What is stopping traders from reducing prices further is now [the] forced unlawful taxes, fines and unknown fees imposed on [them],” he said.
The City Review did a spot check in the market this week and ascertained that the prices of commodities remained steady as compared to August 2021.
The spot-check included a visit to Konyo-konyo Market, Jebal Market, Custom Market Munuki and Gudele Market.
Most markets had the prices which were charged as of last month.
For instance, a bag of 50kg of white sugar cost SSP28,000 and 50kg of brown sugar goes for SSP15,000 and a kilogram goes for SSP 600.
Meanwhile, 50kg of wheat flourcosts SSP SSP16,000 and 50kg of maize flour is sold at SSP12,000. Also, 5litres of cooking oil costs SSP5,000, and 3litres is sold between SSP3,000 to SSP2500 and 20litres same commodity goes for SSP13,000.
The exchange rate of the dollar in the black market has remained stable between SSP 40,000 to 42,000 SSP per $100 since July.
Almost all last month’s prices remain constant save for prices of commodities like white sugar, wheat flour, maize flour and others that have dropped by either one or two per cent.
Only Juba and Munuki markets have partly maintained August’s prices.
However, this month’s prices of food commodities in Custom, Konyo Konyo, Jebal markets only have a small drop as 1 kg of coffee is sold between SSP 600 to SSP 700, 1kg of beans goes from SSP 500 to 600 SSP same to sorghum.
In an interview with one of the black-market dollar dealers who preferred to be mentioned as Makur, vendors only sell 100 US dollars at SSP40,000 saying the rate has remained stable for more than one month.
“Since last month we sold 100 US dollars at 40,000 and even the customers are not like before brother,” he said.
Despite the price stability, Mama Agnes, a businesswoman, says there are no buyers for their products.
“[It is] not been like those days where one opens shop in the morning and decides to change prices more than two to three times in a day.
“Since the end of the July, the prices have been the same, but of course even if you increase I think the buyers will have no money to buy, you should maintain the prices,” Agnes told The City Review as she look so bored.
The rate of the US dollar rate has not been stable. For the last five months, A dollar sold for SSP480 to 500 in the black market while the central Bank sold it SSP160.
As of yesterday, a dollar sold at SSP410 and below.