By: Patricia Isatu Koroma

Traders at Dove Cot market have said increase in fuel pump prices have affected their sales. The increment they say have negatively impacted their small businesses especially overhead expenses and available service areas to the pricing of their products.
“If fuel price continue to increase, we might find it very difficult to continue our businesses. We know that the global market has experienced a great hit in increase of petroleum product and Sierra Leone is no exception to that” They said.
Doris Bakarr a fish seller at Dove Cot disclosed to AYV that she was paying three hundred thousand old Leones for a cartoon of fish from Dock yard to Dove Cot where she sells, but that the increment of fuel pump prices is making her to pay NL 5,000 per carton.
“Customers are refusing to buy from prices we put on our products because of the increase in fuel pump prices” she said.
Madam Doris added that she was selling 4 cartoons of fish per day but she now finds it very difficult to even sell one cartoon on a daily basis.
“I am therefore calling on authorities concerned to address the issue of fuel so that things will go back to normalcy” she added.
Kadie, rice a seller said having buyers is challenging because of the price she is selling which she said is not her fault blaming it on the increase in fuel pump price.
“Prior to this time, many cookery sellers were buying rice from me but since the price of rice increase, they no longer buy from me they now prefer buying bag of rice instead of buying per cups” she said, adding that if measures are not swiftly taken with the current situation in the country its will experience food shortage.
Alhaji Ibrahim Bangura a cassava leaves seller disclosed that sales are rapidly deteriorating because of the current fuel situation in the country.
He added that people are refusing to buy his product as it used to be because of the increase in fuel pump prices. “I spent a whole lot of money trying to bring my goods from the provinces and sometimes I have to sell cheap in order to prevent them from spoiling because they are perishable goods” he lamented.
Sallay Bangura a customer while purchasing from the market said she is discouraged at the rate in which prices for food condiment are increasing because of increase in fuel pump prices.
“The money I used to buy food items with is no longer enough. I had to bring more money to the market so that I can be able to purchase the food items I need at home” he said.