By Dadson A. Musa

Say what you may, we need to agree that there is an urgent need to address the cost of living in Sierra Leone. Covid-19 struck the world really hard as it saw the shot down in businesses, governments and academia. The disease was deadly as it claimed so many lives. Before then businesses were flourishing and economies around the world were growing through. Health experts around the globe helped put the pandemic behind us but we have since lived with its aftermath. Globally economies were affected and back home in Sierra Leone it was felt even more harder especially when we are a post-war economy and there struggling with so many things. With optimism of the Bio government coming to power which has not lived up to its creed. . By 2018 when they just gained power, 100 us dollar was @ Nle750 but now it is at Nle2,300. Princess of commodities have either doubled or tripled and there has been no stopping of this trend. It has caused political discontent and general mood among citizens is that of down cast. The ordinary Sierra Leone has found it very hard to make ends meet to the point that some want to see the back of this current regime,

As a way of solving this problem, government on the one hand increased salaries and monthly pensions across the board which has been eroded by a freefall inflation. The cost of fuel which has hiked due to the war in Ukraine had also compounded issues. Fuel is a commodity that has a production element so its increase in price is bound to have a knock-on effect on the prices of other commodities. That too has in a way affected the inflation which hurting the masses badly. Whenever fuel price goes up, so is production cost as electricity has not been stagnant. Government, on their part have attempted in the past to institute duty wavers to cushion the high cost of essential commodities to no avail. And the grumble among citizens continues to heighten. This has been seized on by the opposition who dismiss the notion that global factors are playing a part in it.

And it is no secret that in advanced economy like the US, things are not rosy due to global geopolitical reasons. One of the reasons for this economic malaise is the simple fact that Sierra Leone imports more than it exports which creates balance of payment deficits in the economy. This is why feed Salone was introduced as a way of reduce the import of goods and services especially our staple food which is rice.  It therefore is not a problem that will go away very soon as it is long term plan which wholistic result is not immediate. So, government has urged citizens to be patient as “work is in progress.”