By Bida Elly David
Hungry citizens across the country are calling on the government to avoid political games on economic transformation rather urging them to immediately focus on practical solutions to the brutal inflation that broke down most families into total destitution.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, Andrew Mogga, a concerned citizen blamed the government for giving political excuses for the crippled status of the market.
Andrew bombarded leaders for only using words without taking empirical market studies to witness the economic saga impeding the living standards of most families across the country.
“They cannot confuse us with political statements, we know that they are using economic reformatory statements to make us get convinced yet we are dying. 50kg of maize flour has skyrocketed to 33,000 SSP with a high impact on us. We can’t tolerate this anymore’’ he said.
He said that issuing continuous decrees on the removal of ministers from positions would not transform the current devastating inflation into betterment rather promoting the agricultural sector by injecting money would foster quick production.
“Leaders focus much on generating income for themselves using public resources instead of focusing on promoting agriculture as a major tool through farmers’’ he said.
Nejiwa Ali, a buyer at Juba market warned the government against blaming holdout groups as reasons for the crippled economy urging them to analyze themselves amid bank accounts created outside countries for external cash outflow leaving the country in a total dilemma.
“These leaders have their families outside South Sudan. They don’t think of the poor population not even to improve agriculture because they have enough food in their government apartments and enough monthly allowances. We regret being democrats with no benefits’’ she said.
Furthermore, Nejua added that recently Presidency through the Vice President for Economic Cluster promised to use part of the oil money for improving the economy but all went into the blue.
“Where is the impact of the resolution from the oil money meant to transform the economy? We only need inflation to come down for us to have food on our tables. We have rights as citizens” she said.
Last week, money market records revealed a high appreciation of the foreign currency against South Sudanese pounds with the rate of 800 SSP per 1 dollar giving rise to 830 over the weekend.
As of last week, the official Central Bank rate against the US Dollars was at SSP 758 increased to SSP 769 per dollar while the black market hiked from SSP 760 per $1 to SSP 800 which led to soaring commodity prices in markets.
No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper established that maize flour in a 50kg bag that sold at SSP 31,000 previously now sells at 32,000 SSP, while a 20 litres jerry can of cooking oil that used to be at SSP 19,000 is now being sold at SSP 22,000.
Sugar of 50kg bag for instance was SSP 34,000 but currently, it is SSP 38,000, a sack of lentils could be purchased at SSP 21,000 and it hiked to SSP 24,000, while beans increased from SSP 52,000 to SSP 56,000 per 50kg bag.
Similarly, rice which used to sell at SSP 13,500, is currently selling at SSP 15,000, onion was SSP 19,000 but now sells at SSP 22,000 meanwhile box of soap has jumped from SSP 12,000 to SSP 13,500.
One currency dealer, who previously spoke to this newspaper off record, said a dollar is being bought at SSP 800 and sold at SSP 840 in the black market.
“We now buy one dollar at a price of SSP 800 and sell it at SSP 840,” said the dealer whose name is withheld for the sensitivity of the matter.
In an exclusive interview, Stephen Wani Aquilino, the Chairperson of the Juba City Chamber of Commerce moaned that the increment in commodities’ prices was due to high demand for dollars and the depreciation of the South Sudanese Pounds.
“The increment of the prices is due to the rise of the US dollar, simply caused by the high demand – most of the South Sudanese are sending their money outside the country, they exchange it into US dollar and send it to their kids in East Africa” Aquilino stated
The passive changes in the recessed economy made the citizens over the weekend raise their eyebrows against the daily political game played by the government on the current economy.