COVID-19 has brought a lot challenges to the country.
One that is imminent now is the sudden increases of goods price in our provincial and rural-based shops.
Already in the provincial urban centres they are seeing sudden sky-rocketing of price goods at many shops.
In Western Province within a month a big bag of rice which are being sold $150 went up to $170. In other parts of West, a big bag rice which are normally soled at more than $190 not hits more than $200.
This must be same for other provinces.
And the changes in price is affecting our most vulnerable people in the rural areas who have very little means to earn an income.
The rise in price is mostly with the food because of the demand during this COVID period now affecting this country.
The short supply of food supplies at many shops is also a driving factor for business owners to play their game to push the price up a bit to earn some more extra bucks.
However, in the end it’s the rural populace that is being hit hard.
Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) for Ward 15, Lambete in Munda and former Premier David Gina has described the sudden sky rocketing of goods price in many shops in the main centres of Western Provinces as ‘disastrous’ and government must step in to address it without delay.
This is because the sudden hike causing problem to many families who may not be able to afford the increase.
“The huge increase of prices at the shops is a disastrous for many rural people who depend on food and goods from the shop,” Mr Gina said.
In the Western Province many people visiting Gizo from the nearby islands to do their shopping were shocked to see price of many food items suddenly take a big jump.
But they have no choice. Only our responsible authorities can deal with.
Therefor the call by Gina for responsible authorities; the Oversight Committee and the Price Controller Unit to intervene and to address this matter is timely.
We are in a period where our rural people cannot do much to earn a living because the virus is surging.
Most of the villages are in lockdown and villagers cannot travel to the urban centres to sell their produce.
In the end cash circulation limited.
Thus, a solution needs to be reached or else people will suffer because they cannot able to afford any food to feed their families because of whether they can travel to the provincial centres and not is matter for the government to decide.
But something got to be done as soon as possible to help stop further more increases.
