A Business Man and Importer of essential commodities, Alpha Barrie has warned of a possible soar in prices of essential goods and commodities in Sierra Leone in the coming weeks.

This follows as the government of Sierra Leone announced a 30 day closure of its land borders with neighbouring countries, Guinea and Liberia as parts of its efforts to curb the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus disease.

Speaking exclusively with Sierraloaded, Alpha Barrie warned that although the government’s restriction does not extend essential commodities, there would be hike in the prices due to the strict processes attached to the movement of the goods from neighbouring countries.

“Prices of goods which are imported from both Liberia and Guinea like onions, cooking oil, Maggie, powdered milk, cabbage, carrot, tomatoes, groundnut, cigarette, biscuit, mayonnaise etc. will soar”, Barrie told Sierraloaded.

According to him, there will be a lot of restrictions on the movement of business people and goods to and from Liberia and Guinea. He added that this will increase the cost of doing business in these countries because of the checks importers will be subjected to as a result of the closure of land borders which will invariably affect the prices of goods.

Barrie further appealed to the President Julius Maada Bio’s led SLPP government to make the movement for vehicles and people carrying food and other essentials items easy so as to avoid the hike in prices.

The spread of the COVID-19 is prompting food insecurity fears in Africa, with some countries already experiencing rising prices, panic-buying and import-export disruptions. Sierra Leone is among the African countries feeling the negative impact of the coronavirus on economy.