Selling fish is one of the major economic activities among residents of Terekeka.
Several traders, in series of interviews conducted by Sudan Post, said the high taxes levied by state authorities forced them to hike the price of fish in the market.
Anuor Ladu, a 35-year old trader said fish business was growing when she first started in 2020, but lost momentum in the wake of the worsening economic crisis.
“We buy fish from fishermen in swamps and islands and transport to Juba for resale. Here, prices of goods in markets are too high. We increase prices to get something for our children so that we can effort them to get something for school fees. Currently, fish prices reportedly range between 3,000 and 6,000 South Sudanese Pound (SSP) or more, depending on sizes sold in markets,” she said.
Prior to the 2016 conflict, however, prices of fresh fish ranged between 10SSP to 300 SSP.
As such, the abnormal rise in fish prices means an average citizen can hardly afford it, with several vendors blaming price rises on the current economic crisis.
Saraphina Awien, 39, said inflation has led to a decline in the purchasing power.
“Our business is very risky. And since fish is perishable, sometimes we incur losses if there are no customers,” she explained.
For Terekeka resident, Lona Jada Wani, 1,000 SSP is averagely spent on a fish meal.
She urged the relevant authorities to push for a reduction in the prices of fish.
