By Mariama Marong
Women continue to decry and lament the continuous hike of basic food commodities across the country and demand that the government reduce the price of basic commodities ahead of Ramadan. They claim that Barrow’s government is not concerned with the well being of women and they call on the ministry responsible for trade to make policies and regulate the market system.
Speaking to Foroyaa’s roaming reporter on Wednesday 1st of February 2023, Nyima Tambajang of Sukuta Nema said the problems that confronts women is the non-regulation of the market pricing system.
“Each vendor at the market, price his or her goods as they please, and they are not concerned with customers. All they interested in is how to make profit,” she said. She noted that earning and having access to money is a problem in this country because people are not willing to support each other and market vendors are making profit at the detriment customers.
Nyima lamented that the president should remember that women voted and put him in power.
“We voted for him and supported his government so that our lives and livelihoods can be made better for us, but we do not expect him to forget about our problems and make our lives worse,” she said.
Madam Jabbie a breakfast vendor at Bundung Six Junction, said the continuous soaring of prices of basic food commodities is disturbing. That even the business he has ventured into is not lucrative anymore due to prices of goods.
Madam Jabbie alluded that she is disappointed with Barrow’s government because people have complained about the high increment of goods over and over again but the government does not bother.
“I used to buy onion and cooking oil at reasonable prices but currently the price of onion per kilo is 75 dalasi, sweet potato per kilo is 75 dalasi and cooking oil per cup is between 20 to 22 dalasi,” she said. She said it is disheartening that products produced in the country are far too expensive than imported ones. She said fish and meat are no longer consumed by the average Gambian due to their high cost. She noted that the reason why poor and average people cannot afford to buy fish is because the Gambia River is controlled by the Chinese and it does not belong to Gambians but foreigners now. She called on the government to find solutions to the problems as Ramadan approaches because people no longer have the financial capacity to support.
Hadim Ceesay, a resident of Tallinding said the way and manner in which basic food commodities increase daily is not a good sign of human development. Ceesay said that poor and average income earners face huge tasks and said a country cannot develop if its domestic food chain is not regulated.
Sarjo Fatajo, a vegetable vendor in Bundung urged the government to address their complaints. She said vegetables produced in the country are more expensive than imported ones and vendors do not have mercy on buyers
and said they are impatiently waiting for government’s intervention.
