The Leader and Chairman of the Republic National Independent Party (ReNIP), Beresford Victor Williams has called on the government of Sierra Leone to provide subsidies on fuel and stable food for three months to help the people of Sierra Leone.

The ReNIP leader made this assertion in response to the increase in the price of fuel and hiking prices of food commodities in the country.

According to Beresford Williams, the government should subsidize the stable food for 3 months, and provide subsidies for fuel or reduce the GST to help ordinary Sierra Leoneans to survive.

“Introducing price control on some of the product that has been reduced, has actually increased dramatically as compared to the 5% reduction on GST tax before the reduction,” he stated.

He also called on the government to introduce a Price Control Agency to oversee the reductions, adding they should Increase the minimum wage of workers as a last resort.

“There has been a continuous rise in prices of essential consumer products, such as rice, vegetables, cooking oil, etc. There are various reasons, which cause the prices of basic consumer goods to rise,” he said.

“However, one of the main causes is the gap between the demand and supply of the products. Higher demand, lower supply leads to hoarding and black marketing. The high demand on essential commodities are sold at even higher prices,” Mr Williams added.

He further noted that the common man is mostly affected at the time of inflation, adding that they have no other options but to buy basic, everyday use products at escalated prices.

“If this continues to happen in the future, it will become tough for the common man to survive,” Mr Williams stated.

As the current food crisis is getting worse day by day, the ReNIP Leader, Beresford Victor Williams is calling on the Government to provide a 25% fish quote on the privatised fishing harbour to the Chinese; as fish prices are also at an all-time high and the local fishermen said: “most time they don’t catch any fish and they have to return empty-handed”. These fishes that the foreigners catch in our local water are sold for an exorbitant price and no tax is paid to the local government.

The ReNIP leader reiterated that the government must empathised with the poorest of the poor and take necessary actions to prevent prices of essential commodities from sky-rocketing by introducing subsidies, price control, National Task Force, a designated fishing ground for locals, etc, as we as politicians cannot afford to abandon our people, in time of needs.

Why are they business people exploiting the country, especially when the exchange rates are reducing?

“We should put a stop to hoarding and black marketing and come up with adequate mechanisms to increase the production of the essential commodities to meet the rising demands. The Government has to do much more than just implement laws,” he noted.

He commented as a leader, some decisions must be taken to meet the people’s expectations especially when basic essential commodities are at an all-time high. The Government MUST act immediately.