Despite the government’s efforts to lower the high cost of living, food prices in the Republic of Congo continue to grow.
Brazzaville exempted imported goods from customs taxes in October 2022 before announcing a decree to “freeze the pricing of basic needs” in December of the same year. Civil society praised these initiatives, but the market’s reality is very different.
“When the agents from the trade department arrive, they give their prices. But when their backs are turned the prices change. Mustard that used to cost 750 CFA francs is now 1500 CFA francs,” exclaims a trader passionately.
“The traders should do a follow-up. While we were still paying customs, a bag cost 9500 F CFA, now that we have been exempted, it has risen to 14000 F CFA. The Congolese state is sovereign when it comes to setting prices, people have to carry them out,” commented a housewife.
An overview of food
In its most recent report on food inflation, the World Bank notes that over 90% of nations experienced inflation above 5% in September, and that the increase in food prices was significantly higher.
According to the Washington-based institution, which is alarmed at the catastrophic situation of poor countries, according to the French media Le Monde, prices will continue to be high until the end of 2024, with an increase of 18% for wheat between October 2021 and October 2022, 27% for maize, and 10% for sunflower.
Unfortunately, the seventh-largest producer of black gold in Africa is not exempt. Most homes in Congo-Brazzaville struggle every day to prepare one or two meals of sakasaka or ébémbé ya Adoula broth.
Despite having great agricultural potential, the nation depends heavily on imports, which cost close to 700 billion CFA francs annually. Importers and wholesalers are requesting more flexibility in order to avoid going bankrupt in the face of this tariff shield.
Increased prices and inflation
In a statement released on May 13, 2014, the Monetary and Financial Committee of the Congo’s experts predicted that the nation’s inflation rate might reach 11% in 2014. The situation hasn’t greatly changed since then. According to the IMF’s most recent predictions for the state of the world economy, economic growth will decelerate, inflation will rise, and debt risks will rise.
According to official government data in its medium-term debt strategy, the Republic of Congo’s return to positive growth in 2022 may be accompanied by a sharp increase in inflation, which is projected to reach 2.8% throughout the year. The national daily Les Dépêches de Brazzaville predicted that inflation will reach 3% in 2023 and stay there until 2024.
In layman’s terms, says Jean Claude Mabiala, president of the Consumers’ Rights Association:
“There is a problem with the stock of traders who have not been able to sell their stocks that they bought before the exemption. We are convinced that according to the explanations given to us by the ministry’s agents and some traders, by February I believe that there will be a little more impact.
They have to display the prices and when the prices do not reflect what they are selling, it is a big mistake and we also ask consumers to watch out for that if they see that they have to react or else they will contact the trade officials so that these crooked traders are arrested.”
