Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has asked all Muslims to pray for the country’s peace, love, unity and harmony for the sake of creating a better environment for national development throughout the holy month of Ramadhan.
The Head of State made the statement on her tweet @SuluhuSamia as Wednesday, Muslims embark on fasting for the month of Ramadhan.
“I’m wishing all Muslims all the best in the holy month of Ramadhan, in this period; let’s not forget praying for our country’s peace, love, unity and tranquility for the sake of creating better environment for the development of our communities, Ramadhan Kareem wa Swaum Maqbul,” read her tweet.
According to Islam teachings, all adult Muslims worldwide, in good health, are required to fast during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Muslims abstain from eating and drinking during day time and instead, increase prayers and offerings to the poor.
In another development Zanzibar government has come up with price control measures, including announcing indicative prices of basic food commodities to prevent unnecessary price hiking during the fasting period.
The Zanzibar Minister of Trade and Industries Development Mr Omar Said Shaaban at the press conference he convened at his office Malindi area following reports of price hike as Ramadan begins.
The basic commodities widely consumed during Ramadhan include a variety of rice known locally as ‘mapembe’, and wheat flour in which the indicative price should not exceed 1,600/- while sugar indicative price should not exceed 2,000/- per kilogramme.
The government insisted that the prices have to remain the same or below throughout the whole month.
Minister Shaaban warned traders and distributors that their trading permits will be suspended or revoked altogether, if they fail to abide by the price control measures to be monitored by his ministry, local government councils, and other agencies, until further notice.
He said that the prices were agreed after discussions that involved importers, suppliers, officers from the consumers’ protection unit, and the ministry, following complaints from members of the public over hiking of price of many commodities as the month of Ramadhan kicks off today.
Last week President of Zanzibar Dr Hussein Mwinyi warned members of the business community against hiking food prices unnecessarily.
