By Nelson Manneh
‘Senfour’ Bakers have narrated to this reporter their current challenges after the Government suspended ‘bikers’ or distributors who serve as middlemen in the distribution of bread from bakeries to various shops within and beyond the Kanifing Municipality.
In a recent press release issued by Government a few days ago, it was indicated that ‘bikers’ were suspended from the distribution of bread for the next three months.
In reaction to the suspension of the ‘bikers’ from distributing bread, Lamin Camara who works in one of the ‘Senfour’ bakeries told Foroyaa that since the ‘bikers’ were suspended, they have been encountering lots of challenges; that the number of bread they use to bake previously has reduced drastically and this has affected business. “Before their suspension, we use to bake twenty bags of flour daily. Now we bake less than ten bags. This is because we have nobody to distribute bread for us,” he said.
Camara said in the evenings, people come from everywhere to buy bread. He said in the process of buying bread, they would be scrambling for bread to few loaves; that this is a challenge to their business.
“Sometimes we have to stop baking and come to attend to them. Before the suspension of the ‘bikers’, we had a distributor who serves as clerk for the bakery, and he alone supplies ‘bikers’ without problems,” he said.
Mariatou Jammeh a vendor in one of the public schools lamented that the suspension of the ‘bikers’ is a big challenge to her business. ‘‘Government should reconsider their decision because it has affected our businesses,” she said. Other shopkeepers who spoke to this reporter shared similar remarks.
