Bread and rice are staple foods in The Gambia. Bread is usually consumed for breakfast and rice for lunch.
Today many families are finding it difficult to provide a loaf of bread for family members. A family of five will have to spend about fifty dalasi (D50) if each is to be provided with a loaf of bread. Anything in addition to the bread with tea or coffee will take the cost of breakfast to 100 dalasi for a family. This will amount to 3000 dalasi for the month.
Hence if there is any increase in the price of bread, it will impact negatively on the cost of living. The government needs to study which consumer items are the drivers of inflation and try as much as possible to lower government charges in order to control inflation. Those producing bread claim that the cost of production has increased and therefore they must also increase the price of bread. In the same vein, those selling other items connected to breakfast are likely to do the same. Hence the consumer will ultimately be the one who will bear the cost. Meagre salary increases will ultimately have no effect in reducing poverty.
Foroyaa will monitor what government is doing to remedy the concerns of the bakers and protect the consumers from price hikes. Crisis is eminent if the government fails to find a solution.
