Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Prices of essential commodities have shot up in Juba markets as hundreds of trucks loaded with goods continue to pile up on the Kenyan-Ugandan border due to what has been described exorbitant charges on importers by clearance agency.
This is after the National Revenue Authority digitalize collection system to improve a non-oil-revenues and minimize corruption and illegal collection along the road.
A latest market pricing list shared with Juba Monitor showed a steady price fluctuation in prices of basic goods. A 50kg of maize flour has risen from SSP 12,000 to SSP 13,000, while a same quantity of beans dropped from SSP 22,000 to 20,000.
A 50kg of brown sugar has risen SSP 16,000 from SSP 14,000 while the white variety of the same product and quantity sells to SSP 26,000. 20 liters of cooking oil has remained selling at SSP 15,000 while 35 kg of Kenyan onions rose from SSP 13,000 to 14,000. Tanzanian onions also saw rise in price from SSP 15,000 to 17,000.
20kg of lentils used to sell at SSP 13,000 but now sells at 12,000, while price for 50kg of rice sells at SSP 8,000 among other goods. The abrupt hikes in consumer prices has sent a ray of fears among the consumers with the festive season expected to witness further climb of prices.
Some traders in Konyokonyo who interacted with Juba Monitor said the price increment came about due to excessive taxes imposed on traders at entry points as well as charges levied by Juba City Council officials.
In a phone interview yesterday, the Chairperson of Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce, Robert Pitia Francis said illegal money collection and delayed arrival among others were the factors contributing to hiking of prices of commodities in the markets.
“We are consumers and all our goods which come outside and prices have changed every time and every now and then due to the factors such as taxes delayed arrival of trucks due lack to fuel and illegal collection of money these are the factors that contributing to the prices,” Francis said.
“During the time of Christmas also people [traders] take advantage also because we are free market and the government is not monitoring or supervising. There is no clear policy put in the place to monitor some of these kinds,” he added.
He added that if the concerned authorities do not streamline their collection policies, the chamber of commerce they would continue will be able to carry out its mandate of efficiently and effectively monitoring the markets values.
“Imagine if somebody come to collect fines every time and these fines are not included, it’s not regulated in the rates schedule what you think I can do. As a free market they [traders] can still add on goods and who is going to suffer is the citizens,” he lamented.
On his part, Chairperson of the Juba City Chamber of Commerce, Stephen Wani Aquilino said the increment varies from items to another and difference ranges from SSP 1,000 to SSP 2,000.
“Actually, the increase varies from an item to another and also there is declines in some items. Take Konyokonyo market as a sample because Konyokonyo manifest the cheapest prices at same time there is high prices seen in the market,” Aquilino said.
“we have realized that there is a decline in some goods like sugar, lentils and beans to some extend and also potatoes and oils but there some of the items prices when high like maize flour, onion the one coming from Kenya and Tanzania, brown sugar but the differences are not too high it ranges from SSP 1,000 to 2, 000,”he added.
He cited that when the demand is high and the supplies is low the deficiency was likely to happen and so some business people will automatically increase their good prices. Aquilino added that he has been receiving a series of complaint from traders who are decrying a high tax charges and fines imposed on them by Juba City Councils in various markets.
He stressed that he received information of illegal collection suspected to be carried out by ‘fire brigade’ personals and traders are told to pay fire extinguisher fees mounting to SSP 40,000 or 60,000.
“If a trader find himself under the pressure and pay that money, it is going to add value on the commodities and that is going to affect our consumers that are citizen,” he alerted.
The Initial of the stalemate of truck divers started almost eight days ago when Revenue Authority digitalized tax collection to boost non-oil revenue collection.
The government reportedly contracted K-Polygone Multinational Company to operate electronic shipment tracking and issuance of clearance certificate to all imposters entering the country.
However, the latter [K-Polygone] subcontracted VESCO Company in Uganda to carry out activities resulting to higher taxes but truck drivers refused to comply with the charges from Ugandan authorized firm. The move forced the drivers to protest despite the ministerial order issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry suspending the clearance.
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