By: Musa .O. Bah
Scores of vendors in Serrekunda market have expressed delight and welcomed the government’s importation of food items, as many said it will ease the price of basic commodities in the market and keep at bay exorbitant prices that importers are placing on their goods.
Talking to some of the vendors by this reporter at the market on Thursday, Kadijatou Bah, a vendor at the Serrekunda market expressed gratitude to the government for the importation of food items but urged the government not to relax on this to avoid unexpected scarcity.
“Now the price of cooking oil has reduced with the importation done by the government from D2300 and now we buy D1750 or D1800 so we are very happy and if this can continue with other foodstuff everyone will applaud the government,” she lamented.
However, she said some businessmen did not reduce the price because they are complaining that the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) imposed a high tax on them.
She, therefore, urged the government to supervise businessmen who refused to reduce the price.
A businessman who does not reveal his name said they are very happy with this development which they want to reach all areas selling and buying.
He appealed to the government to send out a task force to monitor the prices of items and anyone found guilty of hiking prices should be charged to court.
“We want to tell the government to help us at the ports because we spend a lot of money at that place. We can’t buy goods expensively and sell them for a cheap price. We are making a business to earn our living, if taxes and other tariffs are reduced we will reduce our prices, too,” he declared.
Kumba Jallow, also said they are still pleading to the government to help control prices to make things easier for the poor people, explaining that “a bag of salt is D125 and others are selling it for D100, while onions still at the same prices as well as rice.”