Pictured: Price of 10kg rice bag at shops in North Fly District.
By Jim John
People of Western Province are calling on their leaders to control price as high prices on necessities in Daru, Balimo, Lake Murray, Nomad, Aiambak, Kiunga, Ningerum and Tabubil are affecting their livelihoods.
With the current high cost of living being experienced in the country, Western people expressed distress over not affording enough to cater for their families due to the rise in inflation.
All shops in the province are doubling prices on goods, resulting in people having to spend a lot of money on household necessities.
A concerned resident in Mougulu, Nomad Local Level Government in Middle Fly District, Kabi Kokobaiya, expressed that some control measures should be put in place in the province.
He said a 1KG packet of rice cost K10 and a 10KG rice bag cost K100.
“Are our Provincial and District leaders dead? Can they at least engage some ICCC officers to control prices in the province? “he questioned.
He added by expressing that most of the people in the province leave in rural areas.
He said the people in Nomad for instance are struggling to make ends meet as the little income they receive are spent on store goods.
“K100 is not enough to buy all the goods I need.” He stressed.
Another concerned youth in Kiunga, North Fly District, Paulias Timon said all Chinese shops operating within the district are continuing to sell goods on high prices.
He said youths in North Fly are trying to sell betel nut, smoke and can drinks on the street to help themselves economically, however the high prices in the province may lead the them to engage in criminal activities as they find their sales is not earning enough to sustain them.
“Inflation is too much for us. Not all of us have money to buy things on high prices because of the mining. No! Reduce prices so that whatever little we earn from our sales can buy the necessities that we want.” he stressed.
In North Fly District a 10kg rice bag used to be K52.90, now it is selling at K62.90. Noodles is now sold at K2.00, a tinned meat is K15.00, and a six pack soap is K9.00 among others.
In 2023, Western Governor Taboi Awi Yoto and Provincial Administrator Robert Kaiyun signed MOU with ICCC to control prices in the province but nothing has been done to date.
This ongoing issue has not been addressed and several attempts made to get comments from both leaders regarding high prices were unsuccessful.
