Facing the young people of his party on the Grand Théâtre esplanade, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko declared that the government will implement its electoral campaign promise relating to lowering food prices. “The Witness” is able to reveal to you that this announced drop is almost complete. Under the supervision of the Prime Minister, a “tariff” war council meets every day to make the final adjustments to this significant and targeted reduction relating to products such as rice, oil, sugar and bread.
During a political conference organized by the Patriotic Youth of Senegal (Jps) last Sunday on the Grand Théâtre esplanade, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko promised to restore purchasing power to the Senegalese. The president of Pastef even specified that “next week (editor’s note, the current one), people will see today, this Thursday, what we have planned in terms of measures against the high cost of living…”. An announcement which provoked loud applause from the young audience. Of course, this reduction must be significant to translate into a gain in purchasing power for our compatriots. According to a member of the commission responsible for price regularization, the reduction announced by the Prime Minister is almost complete. “The measure will initially concern certain targeted products. And I am convinced that the drop will be significant. With experts, we are increasing efforts and consultations so that the prices of certain essential foodstuffs see a considerable drop” confides our interlocutor. Confirming the Prime Minister, he added that the announcement of the reduction measures would be imminent. So this Thursday! It emerged from our investigations that, for a week, the members of the “Tariff” War Committee have been meeting daily for the final adjustments to a reduction in the prices of certain targeted products such as rice, oil, sugar and bread. Still, it is high time for Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko to give substance to one of the key promises of the President of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye who declared that, as soon as he was elected, solutions would be immediately provided to the cost of living. “Because the Senegalese are too tired of the exaggerated increases in food prices,” declared the then candidate of the “Diomaye-President” coalition.
Don’t forget the Internet and Electricity!
Can President Bassirou Diomage Faye keep his promise to make considerable reductions in food prices? According to Momar Ndao, president of the Consumers’ Association of Senegal (Ascosen), this promised reduction is entirely within the government’s reach. “The proposal we are making to the State is to proceed in stages. We should start, for example, with all the products that do not require subsidies, that is to say very significant financial resources for the State, for their prices to decrease. Indeed, if you want to lower the price of rice, while this rice is subsidized, this will require significant financial resources. This is why the State will have to reduce all other products whose reduction will not require a subsidy. But today, what the government announced was the reduction in bread, sugar, oil and rice. This list is very narrow! » deplores the emblematic consumerist leader before indicating that there are other essential products whose products are unfortunately free such as meat, fish, milk, coffee, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, canned tuna, pasta, vegetables, soap and detergents, coffee, milk. “These products are subject to speculation by various distributors and other traders. So the State must assert its right of review and its duty to control these products to reduce them. He will also have to add to the list of products to lower the internet connection and electricity. This is why we invite the State to modify decree 2022 89 of January 27, 2022 on the price regime in order to administer as many basic necessities as possible” proposes the president of Ascosen joined by “Le Témoin”.
According to Momar Ndao, as a consumer association, Ascosen has a duty to support the State to succeed in its main mission which is to protect the interests of consumers. This is in accordance with the United Nations resolution establishing the guiding principles for consumer protection that Senegal signed and which requires States to involve consumer associations in all decisions that concern populations. “This is why, any success of the State in the fight against the high cost of living reinforces us in the fight that we have been waging for several years and free of charge for the populations” adds the president of Ascosen.
Watch out for saboteurs!
Let us hope that President Bassirou Diomaye Faye succeeds where his predecessor failed miserably! Macky Sall had in fact taken countless measures and spent considerable sums of money in subsidies but food prices had not fallen. Not only did the crooked merchants and shopkeepers not apply the decided increases but on the contrary they caused the prices of foodstuffs to skyrocket! It is true that Diomaye is not Macky, but Diomaye “moy” Sonko. And to prevent possible measures from being sabotaged, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko will have to apply the “Condé law”. For the record, former Guinean President Alpha Condé noted that the numerous measures he had taken to lower food prices were torpedoed by traders. To shake up his regime, the Fulani shopkeepers had carried out exaggerated increases in the prices of all basic necessities. As retaliation, President Alpha Condé launched a hunt for shopkeepers from Conakry, most of whom had “taken refuge” in Dakar. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!
