By: Penda Joof
Traders in the Serekunda market have claimed that high taxation imposed on goods and high rental expenses are major factors, contributing to hikes in prices of essential commodities in the country.
Sailou Sowe, a businessman dealing in foodstuff at the Gambia’s largest open-air market, said in an interview with The Voice that the most complicated issue, affecting them is the absence of price control which, he maintained, has ran some businesses into bankruptcy as their owners could not afford the wholesale prices of commodities.
“Sales are not as good as they used to. Every week, commodity prices increase because suppliers are selling to business owners at different prices. Last week, the price of abag of onions was D800.00 but it’s trading at D900.00 this week. The price of a bag of potatoes is not stable because some are selling it at D950.00 while others have pegged its price at D1000.00. This situation is affecting our businesses,’’ he told this reporter on Tuesday.
Sailou called on the authorities to reduce the taxes and tariffs imposed on basic commodities, adding that the cost of rent forstores and the “expensive KMC’s daily market levy of D20have all been driving the prices of commodities up.
Muhammed Jallow, another business owner at the Serekunda market, stated that the increase in rent of several private properties being used by shop owners is also a major problem.
Mohammed claimed that the rent keeps on increasing astronomically as, according to him, he was paying D54,000 as rent per annum for his shop three years ago but that the owner has now informed them of his intention to increase it.
“The store owner informed us that the rent will increase to D150,000.00 per annum, starting from January of next year. This information has resulted in the closure of 16 shops in this building, only three of us are left now. Business owners from other countries used to buy goods from The Gambia and transport them to their countries. Unfortunately, all of them stopped because there is no price control since the former president [Jammeh] left,’’ he claimed.
Mohammed meanwhile said that a month ago, a bag of sugar was sold at D2, 650.00 but is now traded at D2, 850.00 while a bag of American Rice which was trading at the retail price of D2, 200 has now increased to D2, 250.