By: Nyima Sillah
Since the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched a crackdown on plastic bag sale about two weeks ago, dozens of petty traders who sell plastic bags have complained about it
Their complaints is that it slowdown their business and losing profits.
Speaking to Mariama Jallow, a petty trader said she sells cold water which she uses to feed her family. So, if NEA has to reinforce laws on the use of plastic bags it will definitely affect her business.
“My business is different from other businesses because other business women can manage their businesses by using other materials to package their business, but mine is completely ice block. I tie it and sell it to fish vendors and urban traders. So, you can imagine how the ban is seriously affecting my business,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Aisha Njai, a trader said that her business is disturbed because the use of other resources will affect her source of earning.
She explained that there is no better substitute that she will use to sell to her customers because “If I cook foods like ebbeh and fufu i always use nylong bag and now that I have to use small bowls to package my foods before selling them, it will affect my business as I will have to buy bowls on daily bases.”
“I have been into this business for several years now and whenever government comes up with such decisions it affects my business because we petty traders use more of the plastic and nylon bags than any other businesses.”
Bintou Cham said the government should involve traders that deal with bowls to reduce the cost so that it can favor petty traders that sell foods because no one can afford to buy bowl for D250 on daily bases and one package cannot even serve vendors that deal with food.
She also said they can manage to use any other substitute but it will affect their daily sell/income, which will affect their businesses.
