Bamenda: rising prices of goods alarming

By Drusilla Nange

From buying foodstuff to household needs, the cost of living for people in Bamenda is rising sharply – partly due to the crisis plaguing the region and also because of an exponential increase in the prices of basic goods.

Anette Njong, 35, and mother of two says each stop, at a tabletop or shop in the market, she’s greeted with an increase in the price of an item she wants to buy:

“Just last month I bought 20 Litres of palm oil here at FCFA 18,000 and today I’m told it sells at FCFA 22,000. Where will I start from?” Mrs. Njong says with a frown.

Mrs. Njong’s experience is just the stack reality of what people are facing daily in Bamenda as far as getting basic needs is concerned. Not only have the prices of goods increased but the purchasing of people has dwindled – due to a slowdown in income-generating activities.

Fredrick Nangfo, a hawker says doing business is “very difficult”:

“I can’t break even. I’ve been here since morning, no sales, but I have to eat. Sadly, when you get into the shop to get bread – which is what I can afford, you’re told the price has increased.”

“A sizeable loaf of bread was sold here at FCFA 250, today there’s an increase of FCFA 25. It may seem minimal but when you buy a good quantity especially for someone like me – who has a family, then that increase becomes an entire budget on its own,” he says.

Cecilia Fru, a Housewife says constantly reviewing her home’s menu is what she does now:

“Imagine you planned to cook plantain and stew for the family but when you get to the market, the price of plantains and the quantity you’re served is nothing to write home about. So, you have to keep adjusting your menu, which is challenging,” she says.

If adjusting home menus was the lone thing some housewives had to do to like Mrs. Cecilia it would have been an easy ride. Unfortunately for some, even alternative meals are not helping – given that they are sold at breakneck prices.

Sandra Munka, Journalist and mother of two says:

“No one saw this day coming. The image I had about Bamenda was that life is cheap and affordable but now things are taking a turn for the worst.”

“The increase in the prices of basic goods is making it hard for me to stock up my home. It’s like we are leveling up to expensive towns like Douala, Yaounde, and Limbe,” observes Sandra.

“With F CFA 10,000 you cannot purchase food items to run your home for the whole week. It’s getting harder, especially for families with larger numbers. You end up spending close to F CFA 50,000 in a week to buy items for your home, which may not be sufficient,” she explains.

Inferring the current situation, if something is not done, and fast too, many more mouths may go hungry – plunging many people into untold hardship.