Many wish that, in this context of the high cost of living, the government caps the prices of supplies. What is done. Except that in reality, on the ground, nothing has changed. What the politician Gerry Taama, deputy and president of the New Togolese Commitment (NET) deplores here.
“The government, through the ministry in charge of trade, has taken the decision to cap the price of school supplies. On paper, it’s a good decision. Indeed, prices between last year and this year have almost doubled. Where we bought the package of 100 pages at 800 f, it went to 1300 this year. This cap is therefore beneficial, but only in theory.
In practice, this does not change much for three reasons.
The first is that we are in a liberal system which respects the law of supply and demand. If you plateau without real coercive measures, nothing will move. However, the government has long shown its passivity in its ability to enforce the caps.
The second is that the supply market is too fragmented for possible sanctions. Currently, notebooks are selling like hotcakes everywhere. At what level will control be carried out?
Third: Capping only really has a chance of success if there are reference stores. And the Limuscos were a good solution. If these Limuscos worked well, prices would drop on their own since parents of students would rush to these bookstores to buy cheaper, and other merchants would align their prices.
As I often say, there are a lot of announcement effects with this government here. One wonders as always if the ministers know what is really happening on the ground?
Tell me how much the exercise books currently cost in your respective localities? We will compare.
Finally, it is the colors chosen to lay out the painting that keep me here. Anc and Pdp, it’s not every day you see that on an official document. Come on, just for fun.
Give me your opinion on this decision as well.
