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Ministry of Trade publishes commodities prices after public outcry

The Ministry of Trade Industry, Regional Integration and Employment yesterday, Thursday published prices on essential commodities amid food price hike.

The Ministry in a statement said the purpose of the publication is to create public awareness on the prevailing prices to guide the domestic market transaction.

“Going forward, this Ministry will be publishing the indicative prices of essential food commodities periodically for the attention of the general public. The ministry wants to however, emphasis that these prices must not be regarded as ceiling prices or price cap of these essential commodities,” the ministry said in a statement.

The new prices showed price on a 50kg bag of America rice in the country stands between D1,300 and D1,400, according to a guide circulated by the trade ministry.

The food commodities include rice, sugar, flour, edible oil and onions. American rice is the most popular rice among Gambians and its price ranged from D1,300 and D1,400 across the country.

Meanwhile, the ministry of trade moved in a bid to bring food prices and other essential goods down as it held an emergency consultative dialogue the major importers and retailers amid uncontrol rise in prices.

The consultation meant to help look for solution [s] to the cost plague facing the domestic market and broker understanding on the market dynamic comes barely days after trade ministry told reporters of state commitment to bringing down food prices.

Ousman Bojang, director of trade said: “The consultation with the major importers is to understand the dynamic in the markets and see what approach can we take. What can we legally within our powers to reduce some of these costs that might contribute to the high prices of essential commodities?

“And during those discussion few elements came up at the domestic front [and] one of them was to demorate charges some of these importers will pay at the ports and also at the shipping lines because they keep containers beyond a reasonable charge and return the containers.”

“We feel that trade is a crosscutting issue and we need to talk to different stakeholders that are involved and these stakeholders include Gambia Revenue Authority and the Ports Authority and also we were able to talk to the Gambia Maritime Association

“And had a consultative meeting with the major importers themselves and also some of the retailers and also shipping lines and clearing agents,” he added.

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