Yambio County Chamber of Commerce Acting Chairperson attributed increase of prices of imported basic commodities to high Dollar exchange rates and poor roads between Maridi and Yei resulted.
John Daniel Apollo said prices of soap, salt, rice and sugar went higher last week in Yambio particularly and Western Equatoria at large because goods are finishing in stores and many trucks were on the road stranded with goods.
He blamed foreign traders for buying Dollars at high rate in the black markets, causing the price of basic commodities to increase.
Mr Daniel complained that local traders have no access to Dollars from the banks, appealing to the state government to regulate hard currencies’ rates to prevent disadvantaging on the local population.
Anisa journalist learned that a box of washing soap increased from 65 to 150 South Sudanese Pounds, 25 kg of rice rose from 90 to 130 Pounds; a bag of salt went from 40 to 105 Pounds and 50 kg of sugar also rose from 230 to 330 Pounds.
The journalist also discovered that five litres of cooking oil increased from 40 to 75 Pounds, one basin of beans rose from 100 to 150 Pounds and soda increased from three to five Pounds.
The Chamber of Commerce Chairperson believed that the price would drop after few weeks when trucks start passing easily to Yambio.