The Bujumbura Central Market burning has made consumers’ life become worse and worse. Today, many are unable to survive because of the price of goods is increasing.
<doc7454|right>N.N is a civil servant earning BIF 150.000 a month. She has a family of two children, but she hardly makes ends meet every month. “Per month, I spend more than what I earn. I must feed my family, send my children to school and pay the house renting fees. Consequently, I always ask for small credits,” she deplores.
She indicates that Bujumbura Central Market burning has worsened the consumers’ situation. “The price of everything has increased, especially that of imported goods,” indicates N.N.
According to many Siyoni City Market users, the price of products has risen for different reasons. “After the tragic incident, not only traders must pay a lot of money to have other places and stands to run their goods, but they are also suffering from Burundian franc depreciation,” explains one city market trader.
She goes on saying that when they go to import goods, they lose a lot of money. “For instance, when you have an amount of BIF 200,000, you get around $100… the price must increase in order to earn at least something to eat".
L. M, a consumer met in the city market , indicates that not only the price of product gets higher and higher , but also consumers don’t know where to be supplied. “If you want to buy something, you have to go from one market to another in order to find what you need,” she points out.
According to her, the government should adopt a good strategy to stabilize the dollar-franc exchange rates; otherwise, consumers will not be able to make ends meet and so they will starve.
“Urgent decisions are needed”
According to Noel Nkurunziza, the Chairman of the Burundian Association of Consumers (ABUCO), the Bujumbura Central Market burning has worsened the consumer’s situation.
Traders have lost their capital and goods in the market, he says.
"Bujumbura Central Market was the reference of fixing the price of goods by traders. It inspired the wholesalers and retailers’ price. Other markets also fixed prices considering those of the Central Market”, indicates the Chairman of ABUCO.
He states that consumers are now misled and do not know where to find different products. Traders take advantage of the chaotic situation to increase prices.
“… to that is added the price of Sugar and Fuel”
Noel Nkurunziza mentions that the increased price of sugar and fuel have come to worsen the consumers’ live. “The recent increase of price: BIF 50 for fuel and 10 for gasoil and 350 for sugar has worsened the living conditions,” he says.
According to him, the government has taken measures to increase the price without taking into consideration its impacts on consumers. “That high cost has a direct influence on the price of other products. Despite the price increase, consumers’ income actually remains the same or doesn’t change,” regrets Nkurunziza.
According to him, the government should take appropriate measures to find out the solutions to the situation of price increase and to avail dollars in the country in order to motivate and attract local and foreign investors respectively.
As a reminder, Burundian consumers will celebrate the International Consumer’s Rights Day (5th March 2013) under the theme “Consumers protection, it is now”.
