Burundi : the price of unobtainable sugar multiplied by almost three times

The price of a kg of sugar for the retailer goes to 8000 Burundi francs while it was bought at 3500. The Moso Sugar Company (SOSUMO), the only state company in charge of sugar production, says it wants to avoid speculation on the price of this already unobtainable product by putting it at the same price as that of speculative traders. It also explains that it lacks raw materials. Several households with young children speak of an “unmanageable” situation. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The Managing Director of SOSUMO announced the new pricing during a press briefing he hosted on Monday in the commercial city of Bujumbura. Brigadier General Aloys Ndayikengurukiye said that SOSUMO’s production cost has increased.

“The equipment we use, the inputs that go into sugar production, the prices have really increased significantly,” he explained.
And he added, “another motivation is to align with the price charged by importers.”

He specified that the price of sugar in various stores and food stores already fluctuates between eight thousand and twelve thousand francs.

“We took into account the purchasing power of the population but as you know, given the economic situation whether at the national or international level, prices have increased significantly, this does not only concern sugar”, tried to calm the spirits, the general managing director of SOSUMO.

Responsibility

Aloys Ndayikengurukiye does not mince his words. He believes that “if each family manages to organize itself, it will not have a problem buying sugar” because he says, “when you go to the bars, you buy an Amstel at 4000, 5000, 6000 francs. If you usually take 3 bottles of Amstel, you will take 2 in order to buy sugar for the children”.

It is total disappointment on the consumer side.

City dwellers fear the direct increase of other products that are made using sugar especially bread.

Although the GM of SOSUMO reassures that the State maintains its role of monitoring and control so that there are no exaggerations, “this increase has not taken into account the reality of the Burundian consumer”, according to the Burundian Consumers’ Association (ABUCO). The Secretary General of ABUCO Noël Nkurunziza finds that it is not the right time to increase the price at the start of the school year. For him, the government should reanalyze the situation and review this price downwards because in principle, it must protect the citizen.

In the small East African nation, there has been a shortage of sugar in recent years, although it is produced locally, accompanied by speculation about its probable sale in neighboring DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) where the offer is very interesting, because sold in USD. In an attempt to give all residents who can access sugar a chance, the distribution of “this very rare commodity” is done in the presence of local administration authorities. They are the ones who draw up the lists of households at the same time. The quantity reserved for each household depends on its size. Already in many regions, opposition party activists, especially members of the CNL, the main opposition political party, continue to denounce the exclusions they are often victims of when these lists are drawn up.

It remains to be seen whether the new pricing will solve the problem.