Guinean population condemns rice shortage

People and traders from different parts of Guinea-Bissau are deploring the lack of rice in the market, the staple of the country’s diet, and the government is dedramatizing the situation.

In recent days, as well as in radio and social media reports, populations in communities such as Mansoa and Farim in the north, Bafata in the east, Empada in the south and Bubaque in the Bijagos Islands have indicated a shortage of rice.

In Empada, local trader Alpha Djalo told Lusa that “more than two weeks ago” he stopped selling an entire 50kg bag to anyone who wanted to buy, fearing supplies would run out.

“I only sell by the kilo so I can sell to as many customers as possible,” Djalo explained.

Until Friday, the day when the merchant had no more rice to sell, the maximum each customer could take from his store was three kilograms per day.

“Right now I don’t have any more rice,” said trader Empada, who is waiting for his supplier to receive the goods from Bissau.

Alpha Djalo’s report is almost the same as that of other traders in the interior of Guinea-Bissau.

Director General of Foreign Trade Lassana Fathi admitted that “there are shortages of rice in some parts of the country”, but stressed that the problem is not felt in Bissau.

Fathi said rice would be delivered later this week to areas of the country experiencing shortages.

The director general of the foreign trade department explained that the government is currently “faced with a demand” from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stop subsidizing the imports of economic operators.

To keep the price affordable for the population, the government of Guinea-Bissau has been subsidizing the imports of economic operators since August and has also reduced the tax base of the product, situations that the IMF considers “impractical”, according to Lassane Fati.

The Director General of Foreign Trade noted that since August, the Guinean state, which has two rice import facilities, has “already lost about four billion CFA francs,” equivalent to more than six million euros.

“At the next meeting of the Council of Ministers, the government will have to take action on this subsidy issue,” said Lassana Fati, for whom the path will be to stop the practice, which he said will lead to higher rice prices for consumers. .

Fathi said the country’s monthly rice consumption of 12,000 tonnes has “soared recently” and suspects this may be due to sales of the product to neighboring countries, where he said the grain is more expensive. Expensive.

“The subsidy reduces prices here in the country,” explained the director general of Guinea’s foreign trade authority.

The president of the Guinea-Bissau Market Retailers Association, Aliou Seydi, noted that the global situation means that rice prices are rising, but said that so far there have been no changes to the price structure set by the government.

“Let no one try to hide rice in order to stifle the market or then raise the price,” Aliu Seidi stressed.