The President goes against the government and orders bakers to sell more expensive bread in Guinea-Bissau

The President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoko Embalo, on Wednesday ordered the country’s bakers to sell bread at a higher price than determined by the government, effective from Sunday.

Dozens of traditional bakers gathered to protest the government measure outside the Presidential Palace, where they were all received in the main hall by the president.

Umaro Sissoko Embalo told the bakers that he will talk to the government and other agents in the sector and in the meantime will continue to sell bread at the same price to avoid shortages in the market.

“We will come to a consensus, I will call the government, first I will listen to the one who sells it, but there cannot be a shortage of bread. Whoever wants it buys bread at your price. , go, buy and eat, whoever doesn’t want to is not forced to buy, where is it? What is the problem? – he turned to the bakers.

The head of state, who did not speak to journalists following the meeting, also advised them not to be afraid, saying that no one goes to the bakers’ house and that as long as he is the president of the republic, no one will “touch them.”

Bakers have been standing still since Sunday to protest the government’s decision to reduce the price of bread from 200 (0.30 euros) to 150 CFA francs (0.22 euros) and for flour from 29,000 (44 euros) per 50 kg bag to 24,600 (37 euros). ).

Since Tuesday, the protest has become more visible and the population has been left practically without bread, since the main suppliers are traditional bakers, in particular kuduro bread, which is consumed the most, and industrial bakeries are unable to meet the demand.

Both the government and the association representing bakers spoke of a “boycott”, but today the president of the same association, Adulai Jalo, said that whoever spoke has no legitimacy, just like whoever entered into an agreement with the government.

“The people who signed the contract with the government are not bakers, the bakers never signed a contract with the government,” he told reporters.

The representative said that they would follow the President of the Republic and that today they would work and sell bread for 200 CFA francs.

“When the negotiations are completed, he will call us again and tell us the price,” he added.

The bakers’ representative explained that if a bag of flour costs more than 17,500 francs (26 euros), then the bread will have to cost 200 euros.

“When the price of flour falls, we will reduce the price of bread. If flour does not fall, we will not be able to reduce the price of bread,” he emphasized.

The same association’s vice-president, Mamadou Camara, assured Lusa on Tuesday that the organization was not calling for any strike and attributed the strike to “small groups” trying to “change the order of the government” and which he considers “illegal.”

The cutoff in bread supplies surprised Trade Minister Joao Handem Junior, who told bakers that there would be sanctions for anyone who had flour but did not produce bread and that it would be confiscated.

He issued the same warning to the intermediaries and noted that the owners of traditional bakeries, mainly from Guinea Conakry, “are clearly challenging the state of Guinea-Bissau.”

The minister assured that the losses will be compensated, in particular, “the difference between the previous price and the new one will be compensated with money or flour.”

João Handem Júnior also told Lusa that “160 containers of flour are being unloaded in Bissau according to the new cost structure of bread” that will be distributed by bakers.