GOOD BOY: SENEGAL’S NEW PRESIDENT CUTS PRICES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES
Senegal’s new government has announced measures to cut prices on rice, oil, bread, cement, and fertilizer, in response to growing concerns about the cost of living amid high unemployment and inflation rates.
Government Secretary General, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, informed journalists that the price reductions would be implemented in the coming days. This move was part of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s efforts to fulfill his campaign promise to tackle the high living costs in the West African nation, which relies heavily on imports.
During a media conference on Thursday, the government detailed that the price of a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of the most commonly consumed type of rice will drop by 40 CFA ($0.065, 0.061 euros), and the cost of a baguette will be reduced by 15 CFA (0.023 euros). The government also indicated that spending on food accounts for half of a typical Senegalese household’s budget. Lo emphasised that there would be increased monitoring to ensure traders comply with the new prices.