Makamba : soaring prices hamper end-of-year festivities

Residents of Makamba province, located in southern Burundi, express their disappointment at a Christmas celebration disrupted by a sharp rise in the prices of food, beverages and clothing. They torch administration and police authorities, accused of inaction in the face of these increases, which they attribute to speculative practices. The population fears that the same scenario will be repeated for the New Year festivities. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Residents speak of a Christmas under constraints.

“How can we talk about a celebration while we couldn’t even buy clothes for our children?” It is even worse with the increase in the prices of food and beverages, while our purchasing power is already very low,” laments a resident of the town center of Makamba.

Indeed, the cost of many basic products has increased significantly. According to information gathered on site, the price of a kilogram of meat has increased from 20,000 to 23,000 Burundi francs. The cost of a bunch of bananas, previously between 10,000 and 15,000 francs, now varies between 35,000 and 40,000 francs. In addition, the price of peas has increased from 6,000 to 9,000 francs per kilogram.

Brarudi drinks almost impossible to find

The shortage of drinks from Brarudi (Burundi Brewery Company) also marked this holiday season. “A 65cl bottle of Amstel costs between 9,500 and 10,000 francs, while a 72cl Primus sells for between 5,000 and 6,000 francs, if you can find any,” laments a teacher at a primary school. He adds that drinks imported from Tanzania now dominate the shelves of bars.
The official price of the two most consumed beers in the small East African nation is set at 3,500 and 2,500 francs respectively.

A lack of control pointed out

Residents accuse administration and police authorities of not tackling this situation. Some even suspect these officials of participating in the sale of products at exaggerated prices, which would explain their lack of intervention on behalf of consumers.

With the New Year holidays approaching, the population fears that these increases will persist, making access to basic necessities even more difficult and further stifling the spirit of celebration.