South Sudan Commodity Prices Increase

This article was last updated on May 25, 2022

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Yusif Abubaker, a businessman in Bor, Jonglei state has said that the high dollar exchange rate in the black market has resulted into an increase in market prices.

South Sudanese businessmen have to import goods from the neighbouring countries and this requires hard currency.

Abubaker said that they are being charged highly at the South Sudan border.

“Most of the small check points tax us too much starting from Nimule the border of Uganda and South Sudan till we reached to Bor, there are more check points,” Yusif said.

He said pay 400 South Sudanese pounds per shop to revenue authorities every three months.

Bor Mayor Abuyer Peter Nhial has said they do not blame the businessmen on the price increment as the goods are imported and the dollar rate has been increasing.

Nhial said the close down of the oil and the road between Sudan and South Sudan has caused more challenges to businessmen who bought things from Sudan adding that after the resumption of the oil production between the two countries there will be changes in the business.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the South Sudan annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 16.0% from April 2012 to April 2013 mainly being driven by higher food prices.

A report released on May 9 by the NBS said the CPI increased by 11.3% in Malakal, 7.8% in Juba and 12.4% in Wau from April 2012 to April 2013.

The monthly CPI increased by 0.6% from March to April 2013 with the monthly CPI decreasing by 4.0% in Juba, 1.1% in Wau an Malakal increased by 4.2%.

The annual growth in the CPI for South Sudan was 16.0% in April 2013, compared to 29.6% for April 2012.

Food prices increased by 14.8% from April 2012 to April 2013, while the prices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco increased by 63.2% over the same period. The relevant figure for restaurants and hotels was an increase of 46.5%.

The rising prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages were mainly driven by bread and cereals.

Since July 2011, a national CPI has been published for South Sudan.

The Consumer Price Index is an index which tracks the price of a representative basket of goods and services consumed by households in South Sudan. The composition of the goods and services in the basket reflects consumption of the average household in South Sudan.

The change in the CPI over time indicates how much more expensive it is for the average household to continue consuming the same basket of goods and services. The percentage change in the CPI is consumer price inflation. It is an important tool to measure both development of the economy and the welfare of households.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), formerly known as the Southern Sudan Centre for Census, Statistics and Evaluation (SSCCSE), is the official statistical agency of the Government of South Sudan.