By Nasratu Kargbo
People across the country have expressed concern over the recent hike in prices of cement, flour and other locally produced food stuffs, weeks after the increase in the pump price of petroleum products and the Central Bank Governor’s announcement of the redenomination of the country’s currency. On Tuesday 24 August 2021 news emerged of an increase in the price of bread which prompted representatives of the Bakers Association and the Bakers Union to give contrasting views on the situation. The Public Relations Officer of the Bakers Association Amadu Lamrana Bah told Politico that apart from the cost of flour, the prices of other baking condiments such as sugar, yeast, margarine and oil have all seen a price hike.
He stated that before now, they had engaged the Ministry of Trade in relation to the price of flour. He said before the start of the Muslim month of fasting, they were shown different prices of flour ranging from Le 265,000 to Le 275,000. He explained that the Ministry assured them that there will be no increment in the price of flour and assured them of enough of the commodity in the country, with a promise to inform the Association of any future increase.
He said after Ramadan, the price of flour started going up and today a bag costs Le 295,000. He said sugar is Le 485,000 whilst the price of oil is at Le 315,000. According to him, the increases have been continuous and spoke of the association members trying to reaching out to the Trade officials but got no positive response.
He said they have decided to increase the price of a loaf of bread rather than shrink its size, or down tools. He claimed many bakers have gone out of business.
When asked about the press release from the Sierra Leone Bakers Union which states: “The price of the bread will remain the same and nothing has changed”, he said they do not have anything to do with that and that they are a different organization. He appealed to the Trade Minister to solve the situation, but warned that if the price of flour was not reduced, then the new price of Le.1,500 for a small loaf of bread will stay and not revert to its initial Le.1,000 .
The Director in the Ministry of Trade Emmanuel Konjoh said there is no increment in bread price, stating the Bakers association which according to him was a breakaway from the Bakers Union, decided that they will increase the price of bread. He said that they did not consult members of the union or the ministry before making such pronouncement.
Konjoh said :“One thing we will like the public to know is that, there is enough flour in the market and that there is no shortage of flour, the price of flour remains the same”. He claimed that the government has removed taxes on flour. He said the Ministry has invited the association and the union to discuss the problem.
He explained that in 2019 when the country had an issue with flour, the government took the responsibility of bringing flour from Guinea to help control the shortage, affirming that there was no increment in price as the government removed all taxes and duties.
The Director stated that the price of flour remains Le 285,000.
He stated that the largest and oldest bakeries did not increase the price of bread and pointed out that there are over one thousand nine hundred bakeries in the country and that the association was not a representation of the entire country of bakers. He admitted the Ministry understands that there are challenges and will engage all parties for an amicable settlement, after which they will inform the public. He reiterated: “There is no increment in the price of bread, no shortage in flour and no increment in the price of flour”.
When asked about the hike in the price of cement, Komjoh explained that the increment in the price of cement is a global phenomenon. He said the freight charges for cement now range from between $62 - $65 per metric tonne of cement, from the previous cost of $42. He explained that the country does not have a shipping vessel of its own and that all of those prices are dictated according to what happens in the international market.
He said local cement producers Leocem, Dangote and Maccem, have stable prices unlike those cement imported
Copyright (c) 2021 Politico Online
