According to reliable sources, the price of a bag of flour has been increased from D1,400 to D1,900.
Speaking to The Standard newspaper, shopkeeper Amadou Jallow of Bakau explained: “I had contacted my bread suppliers in the morning but they said there was no bread owing to the high cost of flour which they said they could not afford. However, just this afternoon, I received supplies with the price increased from D6 to D8 for a loaf of bread. I am not surprised because they have been complaining for so long about the poor profit margin they have been enduring given the high cost of production.
“The customers are not happy with this development but they have no choice except to buy due to the preference of many for bread. They have to know it is not our fault. Contrary to what people might be inclined to think, we are not motivated by the profit margin.”
A resident of Bakoteh, Abdoulie Janneh asserted that “there is no genuine reason for the increase in the price of bread by bakers,” claiming it was “motivated by greed rather than business realities.”
In a palpable state of high dudgeon after failing to get bread for breakfast, Mustapha Gaye of Bakau asserted the situation is a “wake-up call” for Gambians to take a more active role in the productive sectors of the economy.
“We should not be leaving productive sectors of our economy in the hands of foreigners who are just after making enough money at the expense of customers. The majority of people in the bread-baking industry are not from The Gambia so they can increase the prices arbitrarily without caring about the consequences on the people”
Weighing in on the debate, Fatou Kanteh of Latrikunda Sabiji, said the situation should prompt Gambians to diversify diet from staple rice and bread which, she enunciated, will not just lead to price stabilisation but better health.
“We should not just be depending on rice and bread. There are other traditional foods like coos-coos and porridge among others that give good health. We should keep our traditional food rather than depending on imported foods which are causing a lot diseases like hypertension, heart diseases and diabetes,” she lamented.
By Sainey Darboe
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