CONAKRY- Affording a bag of charcoal currently in Conakry is not easy. Since the start of the rainy season, the price of the bag has increased considerably. In some places, the cost of a bag of charcoal varies between 75,000 to 80,000 GNF, while until recently it was sold for 35,000.
This situation has consequences on the cost of the household basket. Nowadays, many women who use this material for cooking complain of this inflation. HD, a charcoal seller, whom we met in the Nongo district, explains the reasons for this increase.
« Currently, we are not making charcoal. It is from Kindia that we are supplied from time to time. Sometimes it is also from N’zérékoré or in other prefectures which are far from the capital. Currently, with the state of the roads, the trucks that transport charcoal no longer come. Therefore, obtaining coal is not easy today. However, this material has become essential. So, as a charcoal seller, when women buy, they say we have increased the price. Even though it’s not us. The bag currently varies between 80,000 FG and 75,000 Gnf, depending on the volume“, she explained.
FBS is another seller. When questioned, she returns to the cause of this dizzying increase in the price of a bag of coal. “ You know, during the rainy season, charcoal producers cannot work because of heavy rains. Which means that the price has increased on the market« .
Kadiatou Bah can no longer buy a bag of charcoal. She became a subscriber among retailers due to lack of resources. “ I went to buy a bag of charcoal and I was told that the bag costs 75,000 Guinean francs, whereas previously, I bought it for 30,000. The price has more than doubled. So, I have to buy in detail now. They sell me the pile for 3,000 Guinean francs.
We ask the authorities to get involved in the sale and marketing of charcoal in order to relieve housewives. Because we are really suffering in this coal price affair. The price of the bag which was previously 30,000 is now 75,000 to 80,000 GNF“, she lamented.
The high price of coal has pushed some women to opt for butane gas. This is the case of Djenaba Sow. This woman no longer uses charcoal to prepare meals. The experience gives him satisfaction. She encourages housekeepers to opt for gas.
« For several months, I have been using gas to prepare meals because with coal, I encountered a lot of difficulties, but I am really comfortable. I encourage women to use gas. Because today, a six kg gas cylinder is cheaper than a bag of charcoal“, she said
Mamadou Yaya Bah
Pour Africaguinee.com
Created on October 1, 2024 4:40 p.m.
