By Joseph S. Margai in Freetown, Sierra Leone
Wholesale and retail traders in Makeni have said they have increased prices of commodities because of the toll fees that trucks loaded with those commodities pay before they get to Makeni from Freetown.
The traders, who spoke to Groove 106FM in Makeni last Thursday, said sales have dropped drastically because the customers believe the increment in the prices of commodities was a deliberate attempt on the part of traders to punish them.
Abubakarr Sesay, a trader who sells bags of rice, iron rods, and other items in Makeni, said they used to pay Le4,000 ($0.53usd) for a 50kg bag of rice from Freetown to Makeni town, but the transporters have now increased it to Le5,000 ($0.67usd).
Sesay said, “The wholesalers in Freetown have also increased the prices of the various types of 50kg bag of rice. A 50kg bag of rice that we used to buy at a cost of one hundred and Le170, 000 ($22.67 usd), is now sold at a cost of Le190, 000 ($25.33usd). There had been increment of two or more thousand Leones on the commodities.
“Coupled with the payment by transporters at the three toll gates, we have also made increment in the prices of our goods and that has dropped our sales,” he added.
He disclosed that the 50kg bag of rice that they currently buy at a cost of Le165, 000 ($22.00usd), they sell at a cost of Le185,000 ($24.67usd), saying that Le20,000 ($2.67usd) has been added.
He said the drivers have been grumbling that they are paying Le183, 000 ($24.40usd) per each of the three toll gates, totaling Le549,000 ($73.20usd) on toll gates alone.
“We used to buy a ton of half-inch iron rod at a cost of Le3,300,000 Million ($440usd), but we now buy it at a cost of Le4,400,000 Million ($586.67usd). We used to sell a length of iron rod at a cost of Le45,000 ($6.00usd), but it is now sold at a cost of Le55,000 ($7.33usd),” he said. He added that they used to sell a bag of cement at Le53,000 ($7.07usd), but now sell it at Le55,000 because of the toll road payment.
He said sales have dropped dramatically because the customers are grumbling that the changes in the prices of commodities.
Another trader, Alpha Kanu, confirmed that they now pay Le5,000 for a 50kg bag of rice as transport fare from Freetown to Makeni town.
He said there had been an increment in most of the commodities in shops because of the payment on the toll road.
“The wholesalers in Freetown have also increased price of the rice. On Wednesday 30th August, 2017, one of the wholesalers called me to buy a 50kg bag of rice at a cost of one hundred and sixty-five thousand Leones but on Thursday 31st August, 2017, the price automatically changed to Le167,000 ($22.67usd), an addition of Le2,000,” he said.
He also re-echoed that as a result of the changes in the prices of the commodities in shops coupled with the transport fare and toll road payment, they have increased all the prices of goods thereby receiving a negative reaction from their numerous customers.
