Home | News Thursday 15 September 2011

Cost of living in South Sudan on the rise

Article
Comments (27)

Save

By Toby Collins

September 12, 2011 (LONDON) – The cost of living in South Sudan is rising sharply with a recent hike in the price of common consumer goods.


Juba Market (Getty)

The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is used to measure the changes in the cost of goods and services for households, increased by 9% between July and August 2011 according to a South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics report released on 9 September.

This is South Sudan’s second CPI index, since it became an independent country in July 2011.

Unexpected rises in CPI, which is also used to calculate inflation, can lead to falling bond prices, rising interest rates, and increased market volatility.

During the same period the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 5.5%; alcohol and tobacco increased by 38.9%; while transportation costs dropped by 20.3%.

The samples for the survey were taken in the South Sudan capital Juba, and the other major urban areas of Wau and Malakal.

South Sudan president Salva Kiir accused Khartoum this month of blocking border trade leading to food shortages and sharp price increases.

(ST)

Comments on the Sudan Tribune website must abide by the following rules. Contravention of these rules will lead to the user losing their Sudan Tribune account with immediate effect.

- No inciting violence
- No inappropriate or offensive language
- No racism, tribalism or sectarianism
- No inappropriate or derogatory remarks
- No deviation from the topic of the article
- No advertising, spamming or links
- No incomprehensible comments

Due to the unprecedented amount of racist and offensive language on the site, Sudan Tribune tries to vet all comments on the site.

There is now also a limit of 400 words per comment. If you want to express yourself in more detail than this allows, please e-mail your comment as an article to comment@sudantribune.com

Kind regards,

The Sudan Tribune editorial team.

15 September 2011 09:11, by Konan
GoSS should change its war mentality and distance itself from the enemies of Sudan, geography and history says we are neighbors and brothers, neither can we move our country far away from RoSS nor RoSS can more far away from us. Instability in any part of the two Sudans will adversely affect the other, help the GoS to restore stability in the border regions in order to help flow of border trade. Fighting will make the life of ordinary and poor people (or marginalized people as you called them) more difficult and miserable.
repondre message
- 15 September 2011 09:20, by Anti-traitors!
  The kitchen cabinet are truly they ones to blame.
  repondre message
- 15 September 2011 14:14, by Your Freedom
  The sharp increase of the price of the goods and services in juba is caused by the foreign business men/ women who charge natives as foreigners in their own soil,and the illegal tax collectors at the borders area.
  Government f the Repuiblic of South Sudan shuold contol basic goods and services and protcet them from foreign investors
  repondre message
  - 15 September 2011 17:48, by Ahmed Chol
    The overall statistics for the whole country is much worse than the presented one in Juba, Wau and Malakal.
    So as long as security is not in place in rural areas, so as long as the criminals are proofing to be superior than the government and its police or army, so as long as Jonglei, Lake, Upper Nile and Unity are unstable nothing will improve. Nothing will change. Juba and other towns will be crowded and the quality of life will drop. Inflation will be worst. A lot of people don’t realize that the strength of our money is not determined by how set its value against the USA dollar. It is determined by the mighty laws of economic, the laws of supply and demand which are intimately related to the stability of the country.
    I wish there was a basic course based on economics, security, market stability and development[e.g roads] that our officials should be forced to take before they become ministers and then stumble all the way along.
    Agriculture, not oil will bring us out of trouble. Government should use some of the oil money to buy seeds and distribute freely to people in rural areas.
    Government should seek to have its own plantations and factories. We need be producers not just consumers.
    Not doing any of these put us on the path of a consumer society that suffers when the producer(s) of what we consumes block the road for our imports.
    Ahmed Chol, whatever begins anger ends in shame
    repondre message
- 15 September 2011 16:51, by Lok T Simon
  Dear southerners,
  Food shortage would be the accuse of CPI, but actually problem is that all different cities or urbans within R.S.S are charging their consumers at different prices and therefore nothing that can prevent inflation if there is no prices control mechanism government puts in place. If CPI rises, then some enforcement of money would be injected in the economy and let the interest rate goes up as protection of consumers. This is not a time to rely on north supplying, but it is a time for self regulation and self contingency in all ways, so let government do more to rescue the consumers from these mesy.
  Thanks
  Lok T. Simon.
  repondre message
15 September 2011 09:14, by Konan
GoSS should change its war mentality and distance itself from the enemies of Sudan, geography and history says we are neighbors and brothers, neither can we move our country far away from RoSS nor RoSS can move far away from us. Instability in any part of the two Sudans will adversely affect the other, help the GoS to restore stability in the border regions in order to help flow of border trade. Fighting will make the life of ordinary and poor people (or marginalized people as you called them) more difficult and miserable.
repondre message
15 September 2011 10:49, by Alier42
Kiir is solely to blame for the high cost of living in southern sudan,due to his illiteracy. he assume that ,the common people are also enjoying status like what he had in the state house,you are free choose your ations ,but you not free to choose the consequences of your actions.you and your corrupt cliques will not remain in power forever.2015 election is just around the corner.
repondre message
- 15 September 2011 11:08, by DeltaBravo
  To Alier42
  Stop insulting President Kiir. I know some Southerners are not happy about Kiir being a President of New Nation. Who are you going to choose for leadership, i can’t wait to see what is around the corner.
  repondre message
  - 15 September 2011 21:00, by Alier42
    @ DeltBravo
    yes ,if you know that, many people do not like Kiir. which mean it is completely unwise to put yourself in the shoose incompetent person.
    repondre message
  - 16 September 2011 08:32, by Lokorai
    The Cow Boy will go man, whether you like it or not! He is weak and want to pretend that he knows and has been busy playing cards for the next election.
    The sooner is goes, the better for the people of South Sudan. Oh, how i wish he resigns, quits, or other communities join effort and remove this inept, useless leader ever to exist in our land.
    Kiir, many ethokon!
    Lokorai
    repondre message
    - 16 September 2011 08:35, by Lokorai
      he goes...
      repondre message
    - 18 September 2011 01:48, by pabaak
      I need to warn our South Sudan Government of continuing bringing up Sudan blocking border,there is recent report about Khartoum using it "Yormok Laboratory for Bio- chemical weapons factory" with collaboration with research institute of agriculture to produce agriculture products that can become a cause of deadly diseases such as kidney failure, blood contamination, stopping birth, and many diseases, we should be thinking of banning of goods entering our border instead of bring them here, remember NCP can use whatever mean to fight us. Do we have food safety inspection in place? I doubt it. if we don’t have than I urge our government to abstain from all the goods coming from the North. if you think this is coming out of blue than go to this report by yourselves and read it" AL-Rakoba online newspaper", 9-17-2011. and thank you
      repondre message
- 15 September 2011 15:24, by Analyst
  This comes at no surprise. We must increase our production. Agriculture and infrastructure development are the key to our future economic development.
  Kiir’s government is too big and inefficient. We need a smaller more efficient cabinet and the money saved from hiring these worthless politician should go into education and economic development
  repondre message
15 September 2011 11:11, by Madingthith
The shooting up of the prices is not something to do with blaming one another but to think ponderly how to address this serious issues of whatever commodity in South Sudan markets, I have seen here one of the commentators wrote that the high prices is looming becausing of Kiir is iliteracy. What is the connect between Kiir education background and high prices in Markets I hope that friend of mine need to little bit admitted in some clinic for medical check up, he may be having some psychiatric kind of disease.
Getting independence is not easy therefore all of us should take this independence as a challege but not responsibility and work hard to bring in some more services to our dire communities of South Sudan and not always to fingerpoint our hands on our President for nothing.Remember one more things ’’if you fingerpoint somebody make sure that three fingers are pointing to you yourself and that person with two fingers pointing on him/her. Don,t Joke!
God Bless South Sudan!
repondre message
- 15 September 2011 16:11, by Alier42
  @Madingthith
  you fall short on defending your friend, who is there as a picture.independence was not brought kiir right,it was brought by the southerners who are now suffering because of lack of good governance, you wrote a lot of words that do not make sense to the readers.i can guess from your words you are not a person of sound mind.
  repondre message
15 September 2011 17:07, by Lokeji
I don’t know what does kiir expect from khartoum government after the separation of south sudan? a friendly or sisterly relation, please stop your usual accusation of khartoum for your leadership weaknesses.What sort of a father who can’t provide his household domestic needs and turn around to blame it on his neighbor, and secondly the government of khartoum have a choice of either to be our enemies or friends and they chose to be our enemies and they are free, they have no any obligation toward us to resolve the food security turmoil in south sudan.But i really don’t understand what sort of a government is this, that can’t provide neither security for his citizens nor can strengthen his economy then what can you deliver to the people?. the past six years of the interim period were really sufficient for the Goss to set economic and security plans ahead of independence, given that all indications were pointing towards separation but they exhausted all this period in corruption and useless political wrangling which only the citizen gain more suffering from it.There is a very essential hierarchy in the life of every human being likewise for a government to survive a public criticisms, we need to understand Abraham maslow’s hierarchy of needs which reads as follow:
1-biological and physiological need, 2-Safety need 3-Belonginess and love need 4-esteem need 5-Self actuation.
A government that can’t provide the first and second needs which are consisting of food, drinking, shelter and security which are term as basic needs is not worth to continue running country’s affairs, because these are the major things that the simple citizen want from his/her government.
Mr. president, if you can’t direct, organize and control your government, please leave the sit to a capable man who can do something rather than to be hearing your usual noise.
repondre message
15 September 2011 18:24, by watchout
I don’t know why president accused the government of North Sudan for nothing. why do your keep talking on them since the South Sudan is indepedent country and you fail to do what will improve the living standard of your people. for his weakness he said useless and aimless thing. Avoid such talking if you want to be a good leader.
Imagine he is like useless governor of Upper Nile State who did not know what is going on in his state,imagine the time he went to Juba he said that the market prices reduced, which was not true. how foolishnes he is I blame SPLM who brought st uch fool leader who only work for his benefit rather than people who boted for him, in which he said denied that when some people went to him and said mr. governor you try to go the market and see how expensive items are. by which he replied negatively by saying what I mentioned above.
repondre message
15 September 2011 19:36, by AUGUSTINO DENG
Having a leader like Salva Kiir Miyardit in Southern Sudan is a useless one. How can Mr Salva Kiir Miyardit accused the Khartoum Government of blocking a border trade which result in a shortage of food in Southern Sudan? When Southern Sudan separated from Khartoum Government, it means that we will be responsible of our own problems, and not to relied on other people. If Salva Kiir Miyardit is very wiseful in mind, then why does he not block the Arabs of Khartoum from drilling the Oil in Unity State?
If it is not because that Salva Kiir Miyardit mind was affected by the $$$$$$$$$$ DOLLAR, then he should have to understand that the Government of Khartoum is very interesting to do all sorts of distractor to deteriorate the South Sudan. It is true that Salva Kiir Miyardit is weak and weak. Look at the problem of Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan and the problem of Abyei. If Salva Kiir Miyardit was really an active guy whose mind is not occupied by the dollar, then he should have to talk about those issues which are happening in those areas.
Salva Kiir Miyardit is fuck up, and dead minded!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whoever don’t like my comment, it is ok.
By Augustino Deng. Jech la mer from Tharpam.
repondre message
15 September 2011 23:42, by Dinkawarrior
Riek is the one to be blame, because of his veil-agenda: instead of helping president Kiir to move country forward, he works against it in order for Southerners to blame him for his failure. Second to that, Riek is always has connection with mutineers to destabilized the country, he want be a better person in public eyes but he is the causative of everything. Riek you will never hide in any corner of this nation and you will never rest anytime. You are the most dangerous animal in our planet and I hope you will learn soon.
The August 28th 1991 of Bor Massacred will never be forget as well as September 11th 2001
repondre message
- 16 September 2011 04:14, by Cadaai ?o?
  Dinka warror
  Historian and Identity Advocacy View:
  That’s wrong name for incident my friend. I know you are from Dinka Bor who trying to takes credit from our brothers and sisters from Dinka Twic East. I have been told that it is call Southeastern Dinka or Eastern Dinka massacre. According to historian and well recoginzed personal call Francis Mading Deng. All sub-tribes of Dinka in South part of Jonglei state as they are: Dinka Nyarweng, Dinka Hol, Dinka Twi East and Dinka Bor, etc.
  repondre message
- 16 September 2011 13:37, by Alier42
  Dinkawarrior
  yes you had a good point .it is like in a situation in which you can not opt to other family ,because of the background of that family,yes Machar had Kiir a head of him. who is like uneducation father, so he had to do everything on behalf of Kiir.what i only know most from Kiir ,is over drinking of all those most expensive wine.
  repondre message
16 September 2011 00:38, by Cadaai ?o?
Historian and Identity Advocacy View:
I think everything concerning South Sudanese’ citizens shouldn’t be blame on government. Also, it is to earliest in my view to blame of GOSS. Let’s all give our new government time to puts everything together and than I think we should be fine to says anything against government.
Even now, South Sudan has no class either in whatsoever. The nation economics’ identity is not yet identify. It South Sudan would be an agriculture or oil based economics state? To me, let’s all have patience of not-rushing of things we may break or fix.
"Truth base argument is always makes sense than randomly put it argument"
repondre message
- 16 September 2011 15:59, by Lokeji
  bro. cadaai
  I totally disagree with your point of patience and lending the government enough time. the same government exhausted the six years of the interim period without making any future economic plans or setting-up responsible and accountable governments’ institutions and now you are asking us to be patience and to give them more time to kill our poor citizens who are living on a half a dollar per day, according to south sudan CPI( consumers price index) and also you need to put in your mind that there were about 350 returnees who just died of starvation. this is all cause by irresponsible and visionless government, because when you monitor critically the drastic rocketing of food price in south sudan, there are many factors that instigated all this cpi crisis and the major one is the taxes. According to stephen Dieu committee which was directed by the VP Riek to investigate into issues of many tax stations,they reported that there are about 44 authorized tax collection institution while there are also another 65 unauthorized tax collection institution across south sudan border. Now the question is who authorized the other 65 unauthorized tax collection institution? and who sets tax collection policies in the state? and finally who is suppose to monitor this? if the government doesn’t know it’s duties and obligations, they are advice to leave the ground for those who are capable of delivering something to the people.
  but there is something that will drive me crazy and am very thirsty to know and that is,these guys can’t provide public security to the people you hear people are dying in large scales , food security, employment for graduates and now the three major south sudan universities are not open due to logistical reasons and the last one you get people going to khartoum to tread malaria and yellow fever which can be treated easily but there are not sufficient hospitals or the few ones are not well equipped. Then what can these guys provide to us?
  Let Kiir and his group not dream of making any return to office in 2015 elections.
  repondre message
  - 17 September 2011 04:50, by Cadaai ?o?
    Lokeji
    Historian and Identity Advocacy View:
    The six years period was under Sudan government. I still remember from governor Kuol Manyang in 2009 when he was asked why there is no development in South Sudan. His answer was, "we don’t have right to build anything right now because we are still one country under CPA rules, because if we do anything about building Southern Sudan we might violate CPA" that is what I got if I am so correct about his answer.
    So to me, after South Sudan got its independence in July 9, 2011 was the really beginning of South Sudan government functionality.
    repondre message
    - 17 September 2011 14:37, by Lokeji
      to cadaai
      Oh my God, one can’t imagine to hear such response from such a personality such as governor kuol manyang, can he tell us which protocol,chapter or page in the CPA that deters GOSS from making any development in form of building hospitals, schools, reinforcing security etc? but the goss ministers and governors can smuggle million of dollars to America, Europe and other African countries by using different methods of smuggling such as coffining the money?
      But the vital question is, are you really convince of his answer?
      repondre message
16 September 2011 07:38, by Jungle Fox
Living and surviving in South Sudan has become extremely hard for its citizens and will be more harder if no agricultural strategic plans were properly laid down.
The South has vast and virgin agricultural lands never utilized on large scale since creation. Embarking only on one- fifth of those lands will relieve the South Sudanese from starvation and dependence.
It’s just a matter of earmarking a good portion of the budget to this sector. We should not all the time finger point the North of blocking the border and not allowing food commodities and other goods through.
Jungle Fox.
repondre message
16 April 22:40, by dennishobson
Bg0xrmJO7zhcFkxZJha45ZZoFsX3V2ssanyong madeira plastica composite decking Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procras
repondre message

Comment on this article

The following ads are provided by Google. SudanTribune has no authority on it.

Sudan Tribune

Promote your Page too

Latest Comments & Analysis

The Invasion of Abyei: two years of more agony 2013-05-20 05:39:13 By Luka Biong Deng May 19, 2013 - On 21st May 2013, the people of Abyei have spent two years of more agony and they will remember again the sad memories of how their lives and livelihoods were (...)

The better approach to reconciliation 2013-05-17 06:07:06 By Zechariah Manyok Biar May 16, 2013 - Some of you who might have read my previous articles know that I promised some weeks ago to write separately on the topic of peace and reconciliation that (...)

OIL: is it a curse or a blessing in South Sudan? 2013-05-17 06:04:54 By Jacob K. Lupai May 16, 2013 - In the late 70s when for the first time oil was discovered in Southern Sudan there was euphoria that poverty would be a thing of the past, replaced by a high (...)

MORE

VIDEOS

Latest Press Releases

Wau Dialogue W. Bahr el-Ghazal state 13-15 May 2013 2013-05-13 14:41:35 South Sudan Law Society 13th-April-2013 Citizen of Western Bhar el-Ghazal State calls for limitations of President Powers and the Independence of Executive, Legislature and Judiciary and (...)

Sudan: Stepped-Up Assault on Media Freedom 2013-05-04 10:53:49 Human Rights Watch Sudan: Stepped-Up Assault on Media Freedom Newspapers, Other Media Censored, Confiscated, Shut Down MAY 3, 2013 (Nairobi) – Sudan should immediately stop censoring (...)

CPJ calls on African Union to uphold press freedom 2013-05-03 03:23:16 Committee to Protect Journalists CPJ calls on African Union to uphold press freedom New York, May 2, 2013 The Committee to Protect Journalists asks Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, chairperson of the (...)

MORE