Dollar Increases Saful

Leone Depreciates Saful

Fuel Price Increases Saful

Cost Of Living Rises Saful

Salary Remains the Same Saful

By Edwina Sia Janga

As the US dollar continues to appreciate, the cost of all commodities also continue to rise exponentially, leaving the ordinary citizens grappling to make ends meet, and there does not seem to be any respite in sight soon. Many citizens are complaining about the cost of living, increase in transportation and all other services, yet their salaries do not increase. This creates more hardship on them.

For many families, daily cooking has now been abandoned, with many resorting to eating one sauce for three days. Many say the state of the electricity in the country hampers their plans to keep food for three days. It is unfortunate that amidst all these challenges, the government has removed subsidies from a good number of items, allegedly on IMF conditionality. The 2023 Finance Act indicates removal of subsidies from rice, agricultural machinery, mobile tariff etc. It is therefore not surprising that the mobile companies are agitating for an increase in the tariff, relating it to GST. Now the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) is advocating for increase also. Should the government approve the proposed increment, it will mean that for every NLe50 that a consumer pays for electricity, he gets 9 units. “How will the ordinary man live under such conditions?”, many concerned citizens ask.

A good number of citizens say that the current economic situation is above what one will call ‘challenging’, as many families are unable to put food on the table, and the alternative of buying food from the local cookery shop is not attractive, as the cost of food there has gone up. They also made mention of the transportation fare to go to work and also for their kids to go to school, which has gone up. Amidst all these, they maintained that their salaries have remained the same. Many workers wonder how they are going to live under such excruciating hardship.

While all these institutions are calling for their pound of flesh, the masses continue to suffer, as one angry wife, looking for what she can buy in the market for food, retorted, “we dae suffer saful”. Some social commentators say that the government is talking about feed Salone, and is stressing on agriculture, but what will the people be eating until that time when food is sufficient for all? Unlike the COVID-19, when the government introduced a quick fix policy that provided cash for hard-hit business people and the vulnerable, this time, everyone is vulnerable, and there is not any sign of the situation getting better soon. What plan is there to cushion the impact of the current economic down turn?

These social commentators say that in such a situation, prostitution will increase, with young girls getting involved to provide food for their families. Parents will turn a blind eye to such situations, as it could very well mean their only way of survival. This situation has the potential to negate the gains made in the fight for the rights of the girl child. The million-dollar question is: will parents reject the provision of an elderly affluent man to the family for a relationship with their underage daughter, when poverty and the threat of hunger stares them in the face?

Political analysts say that the government should forgo some of the taxes levied on some goods for the good of the nation. After all, these taxes are to provide social services to the people, but what impact will these services make to a dying population? In their view, those in authority do not face this suffering, as all what they need are provided from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), which is the tax payers money. Government official vehicles are fuelled from the CRF, they earn fat salaries, live in wealth and splendour, while the ordinary man is struggling to put food on the table, at least a single meal. All taxes imposed on commodities do not better the lives of the citizens, as they are passed on to the consumers who buy those products. This is simple business economics. So what can the government do to alleviate the suffering of the people? Simply put, cut down taxes, cut down government expenditure and design all development plans according to the needs of the people, and not according to government’s considered needs of the people. There should be a serious dialogue on what the people need, and not insinuate that they need what government is planning.