Rise in soft drink price to give consumers a hard time

Soft drinks price rise affects many Burundians.

Brarudi, which is the largest producer of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in Burundi, has increased the price of soft drinks by BIF 100 from BIF 600 to BIF 700 from 5 December 2016.

The company justifies the decision by “the increase in prices of imported raw materials used to make soft drinks”.

Noel Nkurunziza, Chairman of ABUCO, a civil society organisation that defends customers’ rights, criticizes the increase saying it “comes to worsen the living conditions of the population which are already bad”.

He, however, says the decision can be understandable if one considers the prevailing serious shortage of foreign currencies. He asks the government to do its best to build up foreign currency reserves so that businesspersons get the amount they need to import goods.

Prices of both imported and locally produced goods have unprecedentedly gone up over the last year following the crisis sparked by the violent resistance to President Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term in office since April 2015.

The rocketing of prices of goods is attributed by analysts to the lack of foreign currencies due to the suspension of financial aid by the EU which was the main donor to the country, inflation of Burundi currency due to the lack of foreign currency reserves and speculation by traders.