FREETOWN, September 3, 2023 – In a distressing turn of events, the surge in fuel prices has led to the dire consequences of over 200 traders leaving their once-viable occupations, primarily affecting women traders in Freetown.
These traders had been instrumental in supplying fresh produce such as groundnut, cassava leaves, potato leaves, and ginger, sourced from regions like Makeni, Bo, Kenema, to sustain their families through sales.
Speaking to our news team, traders operating at the bustling Guard Street Market in Freetown expressed their grievances regarding the relentless fuel price hikes. These increases have prompted transport drivers servicing the provinces to raise their fares, dealing a heavy blow to the livelihoods of these traders.
Kadiatu Sesay, the chairlady of the market, shared her concerns, stating that individual transportation costs from Freetown to Makeni had ballooned from le 80,000 to le 150,000. She elaborated, “Whenever there is an increase in the price of fuel, the traders will be the most vulnerable people. We used to pay le 5,000 for a dozen cassava leaves from Makeni to Freetown, but it has now surged to le 60,000. A bag of groundnut, ginger, cassava, etc., transported from Makeni to Freetown, previously costing le 30,000, now demands le 90,000.”
These spiraling transportation costs, coupled with other expenses incurred on the road, have left these traders struggling to turn a profit from their goods. As a result, over 200 traders, out of a registered total of 600 at the market, have been compelled to abandon their businesses due to dwindling capital.
Kadiatu Sesay emotionally disclosed, “Now, for us traders to even put bread on the table for our families is an uphill battle. We are barely making ends meet. I am the sole provider for my six children, and since my husband passed away five years ago, providing food, clothing, and medical care for my family has become increasingly challenging. I should have followed the footsteps of some friends who have exited the business, but I have no other option. We appeal to the government to ease the burden on us traders, particularly the women.”
Amara Kamara, a driver who regularly plies routes to and from Makeni, corroborated the traders’ plight. He cited the escalating fuel prices and additional expenses along these provincial routes as reasons for hiking transportation fares.
Kamara explained, “Presently, we are purchasing a liter of fuel for le 30,000, and for each trip to these provinces, we spend over le 1,800,000 on fuel alone. In the end, we barely break even, given the fees we must pay at checkpoints and to the drivers’ union, among other expenses. As a nation, our only recourse is to unite and appeal to the government for a solution to this growing crisis.”
The escalating fuel prices and subsequent economic hardships continue to cast a shadow over the livelihoods of these traders, emphasizing the urgent need for government intervention to alleviate their plight.
