By Agoku Christine Taban (Guest Writer)
The dire economic situation in the country is making communities desperate as the local currency loses value against the United States dollar (USD). This is causing a rapid increase in commodity prices in the markets as well as transport costs.
As some of the parliamentarians challenged the fact that much attention is paid to the refugees and returnees escaping the fighting in the neighboring Sudan, the economic situation is something that needs to be prioritized too, as it is prompting many citizens to become beggars along the busy roads within the city.
And the number of street children is increasing daily in the capital city and other parts of the country, collecting food remaining rom dirty dustbins and sleeping on the streets. There are now many physiologically disturbed people talking to themselves alone on the road, a situation instigated by economic hardships.
Due to the progressively high transport cost, many parents are distressed about how they are going to facilitate their children’s movement from home to go schools to attend classes, and even how they can pay their school fees.
Water, which is life no human being can do without, has also become very expensive and not affordable for the majority. Majority are sleeping hungry; the cost of treatment is very high. Many citizens are very angry as the country has no single established government hospital where treatment services are rendered free to the South Sudanese.
As much as many advocate for the improvement of the situation in the country, the question is, does it mean the citizens hopelessly believed its total failure? How can the announced nominated candidates for the planned upcoming election approach the starving communities? How many are they going to remain as other populations continue to suffer from mental illness triggered by the situation?
The concerned stakeholders should not sleep over this current economic condition, and the City Council should double check the impact of collecting multiple taxes from businesspersons operating in various markets. A lot of collection of taxes by the city council can cause a spike in commodity prices because, for example, business owners operating at customs market will have to pay City Council from Munuki, Konyokonyo and custom respectively which is unfair and very expensive for small-scale retail businesses. Therefore, for a business owner to cover all these mentioned payments and others, he or she will increase the prices of the commodities to realize profits.
Responding to the concerns of the citizens is worth important by the stakeholders. Otherwise, seeing some few people exchanging bundles of pounds and USD is traumatizing because, like few, are enjoying themselves and the majority are left to suffer without consideration.