North-West: Price hikes makes Bamenda unbearable for many households
Price hikes Bamenda North-West: Price hikes makes Bamenda unbearable for many households
Bamenda is gradually joining the ranks of expensive cities in Cameroon due to its current inflation rate.
For months now many households in Bamenda are finding it difficult to purchase some basic commodities due to inflation. Maize rose from 3500 F Cfa to 5000 F Cfa. A liter of palm oil which about two weeks ago was sold at 750 F Cfa has increased to 1500 F Cfa. A cup of salt which was 50 F Cfa, currently stands 100 F Cfa. Vegetable oil which stood at 4500/5000 frs is now 7500 F Cfa for 5 liters. 50 kg of wheat flour has risen from 19000 F Cfa to 25000 F Cfa.
“The frequent road blocks imposed by separatist fighters on the Bamenda-Ekok road, is one of the reasons why the costs of goods have increased. Traders spent a lot in transporting these goods. Customers think we deliberately add these prices,” Lum Sheron, trader at the food market explains.
To Honorine Ngum, a ‘buyam-sellam’ at the Nkwen market, they increased the prices of food products like maize and bean, so they can have enough money to buy fertilizer for the next farming season. “The price of 1 kilo of Urea fertilizer rose from 800 frs to 1000frs. A bag of 20:10:10 is 50000 F Cfa”.
Price hikes Bamenda Bamenda is gradually joining the ranks of expensive cities in Cameroon
Stanley Mokum, a trader explains that the bad conditions of the Bafoussam – Bamenda high way destroys cars, thus suppliers increase the prices of goods to repair their cars and cover other costs.
The Regional delegate of Trade for the North-West Region, Foncha Ghogomoh says the price hikes are due to the ongoing crisis in the region. “Farmers have difficulties transporting their produce to the farmers. So, they add prices to make profit”.
To consumers like Slyvia Atanga, the crisis has worsened the situation.“It is worse with the crisis as mother’s find it difficult to subsidizes food through subsistence farming in far off farm lands. The crisis has brought with it lots of security concerns. As such, most families depend on buying food stuffs from the market”.
According to Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics (NIS), the inflation rate of Bamenda now stands at 4.4%. this price hike is mainly due to an increase in the price of food products, especially, bread, cereals, flour and oil.
To fight inflation, the Cameroon parliament in June, increased the provision of the 2022 finance law which supports essential prices to 40 billion FCFA. However, this change is yet to be felt on the ground by traders and consumers.
Emmanuela MAIKEM
