As the majority of Gambians on Saturday joined the rest of the Muslim world to kick-start the holy month of Ramadan, consumers of basic commodities are hoping for price reductions.
Sugar, onion and other commodities in high demand during this period have witnessed price instabilities in the lead up to Ramadan the start of which The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council confirmed after the crescent was sighted in the village of Garawol at dusk on Friday.
The moon was also sighted in neighbouring African countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.
There were also sightings in other parts of the Muslim world including Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Ramadan is usually marked by four weeks of fasting and prayerful worship by Muslims all over the world.
Gambian consumers have been complaining of price rises especially for basic foodstuff which are a staple weeks before the holy month. However, according to the country’s central bank, global commodity prices will go down to 6.0% in 2025. Quoting World Bank projection, the apex bank said this trend is expected to go down even further to 2.0 percent in 2026.
The Governor of the Central Bank Buah Saidy said this situation is related to ”improved supply conditions for energy and food commodities despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.”
Meanwhile the prices of basic foodstuff going into the Ramadan remain static with the cost of sugar and bread maintaining their 2024 levels.
According to factcheckgambia.org, ”Year-on-year food prices in The Gambia continue to increase, they hardly drop or stagnant for at least a year”.
Quoting data from local publications, it added: ”In 2023, a bag of rice cost D1, 800, a bag of sugar D2, 550, a bag of onions D700 and a 20- litter gallon of cooking oil D1, 150. These prices were maintained from mid 2023 to the beginning of 2024. However, in 2024, the prices rapidly increased. A bag of rice cost D2, 250, a bag of sugar D2, 600, a bag of onions D850 and a 20-litter gallon of cooking oil D1, 450”.
The price of bread an important staple during Ramadan in The Gambia still hangs in the balance as the association of bakers temporarily put on hold a recent decision to increase the cost of a loaf nationwide.
The National Bakers Union recently announced an increase in the price of bread from D10 to D13 beginning on Monday, February 17, 2025 as its members look to standardise the weights of the two types of local bread sold nationwide with “Senfour” weighing 1.70kg while the heavier “Tapalapa” is set at 1.55kg to accompany the possible increase.
Members of the union said the planned increase was necessitated by challenges with meeting the overhead costs of acquiring the raw materials in relation to the production of bread.
This include the rising cost of flour, which has soared in recent months, leaving bakers struggling to cope with the increase.
The last adjustment to the price of bread was in 2019 when a loaf cost D8.
However following a public outcry bakers held talks with the government to examine measures to protect the interests of both consumers and local bread producers especially during the holy when the commodity is usually in high demand.
WN/as/APA