By Adia Jildo
Commodity prices are expected to hike in Yei amid increased fuel prices due to looming fuel shortages and leading to high cost of transportation.
The chairperson Chamber of Commerce in Yei River County Justin Luwate told No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper that market prices are expected to rise as fuel is being transported from Juba due to blockage of fuel tracks entering South Sudan through Kaya Uraba border which is the shortest route.
“Kaya-Uraba border has been blocked for fuel supply. There is no more fuel coming from Kaya which is the shortest route to Yei. All the fuel has to come through Juba which is far,” Luwate lamented.
“There is possibility that prices may go high. The Kenyan government is going for election very soon and it will disrupt a lot of activities. Definitely, things will tend to go higher because the fuel entering the country is from Kenya,” he said. “The cost of transport goes high and definitely the consumer will pay for it on the commodity” Luwate added.
On Monday, fuel stations in Yei reportedly shut down when their request to increase fuel prices were not responded to. However the fuel stations later opened (Wednesday) after reaching some agreement on the increment of price.
“The current prices might go to another level, maybe another increment soon”. Area Chamber of Commerce Chairperson projected. “If prices of fuel go high, the prices for the other entire commodities tend to go higher. There is need for fuel everywhere” he noted.
Luwate called on the government to regulate the fuel business to reduce the inflation for the citizens to be able to afford commodities in the market for survival.
“We need the government to own the fuel business by importing it and selling it to the private companies at a regulated price and if there are people who are doing the fuel business, let it be bought from the government at a regulated price” he suggested.
In late June, fuel prices in Yei shot up to 900 South Sudanese pounds and now it has hiked to 1,050 Pounds.