Several butchers have been arrested in Torit town, Imatong State, for excessively increasing the price of meat during the festive season, says the Mayor of Imatong.

Eddy William says the apprehension follows concerns from residents, reported to his office.

The mayor says the butchers raised the price of a kilo of meat, within a day, from 200 to 300 pounds.

“Because in a matter of 24 hours, they [increased the price] from 200 pounds to 250 pounds and from 250 to 300 pounds, without consulting the authority,that is too expensive, not everybody can afford to buy it.” Mr. William told Eye Radio.

He said “They got the chance of Christmas holiday and 1st of January holiday so they increased [the price] in that period”, adding that many people in the state could not afford the meat due to the high price.

“So I went to the market, we arrested them andtold them that the price [at which you are selling] is not the one we agreed upon,” explained Mr. William.

Mr. Eddy also revealed that the town authorities also arrested some water tanker operatives found to sell water expensively.

He says there is a clear price legislated by the municipality that was agreed upon with the water distributors, including the local dealers peddling water from boreholes.

Mr. William says the water distributors buy a barrel of water at 16 pounds from the water processing plants.

“We found out that a drum of water, within Torit, is sold at 50 pound which is too expensive,” he said.

“Water tankers should sell a drum of water at 35 pound; a donkey person should sell a drum of water at 20 pounds, but those who are using bicycle should sell, instead of 10 pound per jerry-can, 3 pounds per jerry-can.”

The water processing plants from which the dealers by the water include the one operated by the Red Cross, and the Torit Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Company, along the banks of the Kineti River.