Just two months of President Julius Maada Bio’s controversial second term, prices of food and non-food items have shot up to record high. Fuel price has increased from Le21,500 (twenty-one thousand, five hundred Leones) to 30,000 (thirty thousand Leones) while EDSA tariff too has been astronomically increased from 11 to 23 per units.
When Bio was made in 2018, his government inherited fuel price of Le6, 000 (six thousand Leones), but has today hit the highest peak with several agencies pointing fingers at each other about the rapid increase.
Grassroot Sierra Leoneans cast aspersion on Petroleum Regulatory Agency, Ministry of Trade, oil companies as those who have colluded to ensure an astronomical increase of fuel price.
One of the traders doing business at Abacha Street, Saidatu Kamara said it was heart-rending to wake up to a high fuel price knowing the impact it would have on them. Prices of food stuff; Saidatu went on, had greatly affected them owing to such an increase in fuel price.
“Transportation has doubled, and many prices of other consumable products have changed” she said.
The increase was stunning and shocking standing at Le5,000 (five thousand Leones) for diesel from the old price of Le25,000 (twenty-five thousand Leones) to Le30,000 (thirty thousand Leones) while kerosene price has also suffered similar situation.
A trader selling onions, Sallamatu Turay, said the increase in transport cost had caused prices of goods to shot up, and fares have also moved in the same direction.
Another trader, Marie Kallon says, since the commodities come mainly from the provinces, prices might be inflated to terrible height as traders lose huge sums of money on transport cost.
“Prices for such local commodities as Pepper, cassava, potatoes have been increased owing to the fuel price increase. We normally get supplies from our customers at designated markets who are coming with the goods from the provinces. If their distributors have increased prices, they are left with no option but to do the same for consumers,” Marie told this press.
The increase in prices has been attributed to the political crisis in the country.
Since President Bio assumed power, few years ago, his government had been to attract investors or change the status quo in the country.
Civil society activists who should take on government on such lapses have been tight-lipped, an inaction for which the traders have lost confidence in them.
The role of civil society organisations in a democratic nation is to monitor government policies and actions as well as holding them accountable for abuse of office.
It is also their position to engage in advocacy, especially for the underserved, and offer alternative policies for government to improve the standard of its citizens, but they have reneged on such responsibility.
No activist has condemned the daylight robbery of the elections although they should be the “voice of the voiceless.”
CSOs, traders say, are responsible for monitoring government’s compliance in their handling of human rights treaties and implementation of policies and programmes.
The recent increase in fuel price is no exception as it bears adverse human rights implications. Government, they said, had disappointed us.
Government, the traders said, had neglected their responsibility of protecting citizens’ welfare, but the activists have failed them the worst.