Dar es Salaam shops run out of sugar amid crackdown by authorities

Dar es Salaam. Sugar has disappeared off shelves in the city, a day after the Regional Commissioner Paul Makonda ordered for a crackdown against businessmen who were selling the commodity against the indicative retail price.

A survey carried out by The Citizen online in various parts of the city showed that most retail and wholesale shops have run out of stock leaving customers with no clue of where they can get their next cup of coffee or tea.

Prior to the announcement of the crackdown by the Dar es Salaam RC the price of sugar was between 3500 and 4000 in most parts of the city.

Speaking to The Citizen in separate interviews some customers, retailers and wholesalers said they have been out of stock for weeks now.

An attendant at a supermarket at Kibo, Tegeta said they have been out of stock for two weeks now.

According to them by the time they went out of stock they were selling sugar at Sh4000 per kilo.

At Mbezi Luis it has been two days since retailers ran out of stock as wholesalers have decided not to release the product for fear of being arrested by the authorities.

Last week at Mbezi Luis the price of sugar was sold at Sh3500 per kilogram in many retails shops but since yesterday Monday May4, the price has soared to Sh4000 and scarce.

"Currently sugar is sold as if it is some illegal drugs and is not available as shopkeepers fear being arrested by police. This sugar war has lasted for quite a while even with all the government directives but retailers have ignored it," said Ramso Mlay a resident at Mbezi Luis

At one retail shop in Tegeta, the sugar price has dropped from the previous Sh3, 600 to Sh3, 200 per kilogram, according to the shopkeeper; the wholesale shops sell the 50 kg bag at Sh129, 000.

He said he has a stock of 250 kg of sugar, this after he was forced to return the excess 10 bags which was supplied to him by an agent in late April.

"I had to return some of sugar to the supplier after the government issued the indicative prices, because if I kept all the stock, I wouldn't make any profit out of it, " he says.

Adding: "The remaining stock is about to run out.  Even my fellow retailers in the street are no longer selling the product because the business has become profitless.