|
X-mas spirit encroached by power blues
2006-12-25 10:48:34
By Lydia Shekighenda
Christian faithful in Tanzania today join fellow believers around the world to celebrate Christmas, amid unstable consumer prices and prolonged power crisis.
Christmas is marked on every 25th of December to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, son of Virgin Mary, who founded Christianity over 2,000 years ago.
Prayers will be held at national level at Azania Front Cathedral in Dar es Salaam, a Christian Council of Tanzania press statement issued yesterday ahead of today’s celebrations says.
People who were interviewed told The Guardian that this year’s celebrations have been overshadowed by power shedding and unstable consumer prices.
Charles Francis, who resides at Ubungo in Dar es Salaam, said that usually during this festive season, life becomes difficult because of rising passenger bus fares and consumer prices, especially those of foodstuffs.
According to him, bus fare per head for traveling between Dar es Salaam and Arusha has shot to 30, 000/-, up from 12, 000/- before the festival season.
He said that the cost of a Dar/Mwanza ticket had also gone up from 35,000/- to 55,000/-.
Passengers planning to travel from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba have to part with 68,000/- instead of the previous 45,000/-.
During Christmas and New Year festivities, traders hike prices of foodstuffs as demand swells.
A survey conducted by The Guardian yesterday revealed that food prices have gone up as well.
Kisutu Market Secretary Said Mwangala said the price of rice has gone up to 1200/- per kilogram from 1000/- over the past few weeks.
At Kariakoo Market, rice from Mbeya fetched between 700/- to 800/- per kilo, while the high quality brand—super rice—was sold at 1400/- per kilogram.
The survey has also revealed that the price of other foodstuffs like bananas has also gone up. A bunch of bananas now goes at 7000/-up from 5000/- just a few weeks ago.
Ramadhanu Karamaro, a trader at Mwenge vegetable and cereal market, said a kilo of maize flour was selling at between 450/- and 500/-. Last week, the same commodity was stood at between 380 and 400/-.
Martha Bernard, a resident of Goba, said power rationing had interfered with her budget because she used to stock food items some few days before Christmas.
She said she could now not do so for the fear of incurring double cost in case power went and the perishables got rotten.
She added that meat was now selling at 3200/- although it was sold at 2800/- just a few days ago.
She said if the power supply had been reliable, then she could have bought meat at cheaper price and stored it some weeks back.
Fatuma Mchima, a tailor at Mabibo, also complained about power rationing, saying she used to make good profits at this time of the year after receiving many orders.
’’This year, things have changed completely. I had to reject some of the orders for the fear of not being able to complete work on time,’’ she said.
|
