Vegetables on sale at Konyo-konyo market in Juba - credit | Moyo Jacob/Eye Radio | April 19, 2022

Some traders in Juba said they are faced with decreasing number of customers over the hike in commodity prices, a situation caused by worsening currency exchange rate.

The official exchange rate published by the Bank of South Sudan (BoSS) on Thursday showed that a dollar is sold at 1,109 South Sudanese pounds. In the parallel market, one dollar sells at SSP 1,250.

Some of traders who spoke to Eye Radio in Munuki Payam said the hike in prices of commercial goods and service is due to the weakening of the pounds against the United States dollars.

A kilogram of sugar that used to sell at 1,200 now costs 1,500 pounds, while a kilo of lentils has hiked from 2,000 to 2,500, according to the business people.

They said after adjusting prices to the increasing cost of buying dollars, only few customers are being received each day.

“People are complaining why prices are shooting up like that. sometimes when you go and buy sugar for 1,200 pounds, tomorrow you will find it at 1,400 and when I tell customers things are high in the market compelling me to increase a cup of tea, they refuse,” said one of the shopkeepers in Munuki.

“Customers are crying every day, but that is why prices are going up like that. Many of them stopped coming here to buy because of the prices, things are not like before and this is because the dollar if high.”

One of the businesswomen said the situation has made it unreliable for them to support their families.

“We women are the ones taking care of our families and children, men are not helping us, how can we support our children with this high rate of dollar, even paying school fees is a challenge, customers are not coming to buy from us like before, for us who are working here in the market, life is not hard because of dollar.”