Economic downtrend, inaccessibility of roads behind price hike in W. Bahr el Ghazal – Governor Cleto

JUBA – Governor Sarah Cleto of Western Bahr el Ghazal state has said that economic downtrend at the national level and lack of accessible roads in the country are the main factors behind hike of basic commodity prices in the state.

South Sudan has in recent month witnessed devastating economic crisis triggered by COVID-19 pandemic, corruption and the global fall in oil prices.

These have let to hike of basic commodities both in the capital Juba and in the states where other factors, such as illegal checkpoints, have contributed to the shooting up of prices.

In an exclusive interview with Sudans Post Friday, Governor Cleto said illegal check points had been removed with orders from the national government, but said general economic situation in the country as well as the inaccessibility of roads, as result of the rainy season, are the leading factors contributing to hike of commodities.

“The check points have been eliminated and if there are any check points that are out there, they must have been put there illegally and we, as a state, look into that. […..] we have a few entry points into the state where approved taxes are being collected for taxes that are coming into the state,” she said on phone from Juba.

“Some of the reasons why the prices in the market have been going up are the national economic situation, which has impacted the whole nation in term of the rise in the dollar prices, and for Western Bahr el Ghazal, specifically, during the rainy season, trucks and  goods are not able to get into the state, so we lack commodities and the demand is going high and then the prices are going high,” she added.

Cleto said her government is working with its national counterpart to address some of the issues that are generally blamed for the increasingly expensive living standards in the state, adding that she is also working with the chamber of commerce to avoid hiking prices of good which were already transported into the state before the country’s economic crisis began.

“We are working with the national government in term of how to manipulate the market and reduce the prices and I am also in touch with the chamber of commerce,” she added.