Bread & Butter Still In Limbo

By Edwina Sia Janga

As Sierra Leoneans begin to assess the 5-year tenure of President Bio, the greatest concern has been the bread and butter issue, as many families are unable to put food on the table on a daily or alternate day basis. The cost of living has skyrocketed, whilst the value of the Leone against the dollar has depreciated beyond belief, and this has had its toll on the economy of the country as well as on the lives of ordinary citizens.

It could be recalled that during the campaign period in 2018, President Bio had promised to address the bread and butter issue, which was widely espoused by his able lieutenant, Jacob Jusu Saffa, now Chief Minister, during all media engagements, but unfortunately, many Sierra Leoneans feel that this promise has not been fulfilled. Though the government has made significant progress in other sectors, the fact remains that what most citizens are concerned about is their daily survival. This was not lost on the President, as he too admitted that things are hard for his compatriots, but all efforts to deal with this problem has not yielded fruit.

This situation has not been helped by the constant decrease in the value of the Leone to the dollar, especially considering the fact that the country basically imports most of its food stuffs, which implies the need for dollar. Thus, at the current rate of the dollar to the Leone, it goes without saying that the cost of commodities will rise. This gets worse by the day, as business people have to contend with importing goods at higher cost, as well as paying rent for their shops, which is normally paid in dollars. Landlords are now calling for the equivalent of the dollar to the Leone for their rent, which puts more burden on businesses. The ultimate result is that this cost is transferred to the consumer who buys from the business people.

Whilst progress is being made in ensuring that rice seed is not imported into the country through the government’s shift in policy on agriculture, yet, since the country is unable to produce its own staple food in abundance to feed its people, dependence on importation of rice is still with us, and this has been the cause for the high cost of living.

Amidst this situation, the salaries of workers, though the government has made some increases, have meant little or nothing to the prevailing economic situation in the country, with a bag of rice going for NLe650. This, in effect means that the ordinary worker earning the basic minimum salary of NLe600, will virtually be unable to buy a bag of rice, as a result faces the problem of feeding his family for the whole month. Where is he going to get the money to provide transport for himself and his kids going to school, not to talk of buy other basic things like soap, paste, shoes, dress, pay rent and top up his meter for electricity? Even if he tries to economize and buy a smaller bag of rice (25Kg), which is going for over NLe300, how is he going to pay his rent or provide money for the sauce?

Many Sierra Leoneans recognize the work done in the development of the infrastructure by the government, but what is of prime importance to the people is daily sustenance.

As the General Elections is fast approaching, with many counting the days, some political analysts say that the second term bid of the President hangs in a balance, and it depends on what he will tell the people that will appease them to vote him in for a second term. His Excellency has to find a way to let the people know what he is going to do to address this pressing challenge, as a hungry man is an angry man.