Caterers, Traders Lament Low Business

The food business in
dustry has continued to experience low business  patronage  as prices of food stuff remain high inspite  of steady  supply of petrol.
Operators of the sector predict that the prices of commodities would remain  high  until the end of the Muslim fast, Ramadan.
They reasoned that since most food  stuff  come from  North,  Nigeria, food  prices, especially grains tomatoes, onions  and meat would remain  high  until   the fast is over.
The Chief Executive Officer,  Kimos Catering  services Mrs Ekimene Osuyi,  did not just blame the high cost of food stuff on the Ramadan, but said “there is general economic crunch in the country. Prices of food stuff  were high even before the Ramadan, a bag of rice, which used to sell for between N10,000.00 and N12,000.00 now sells for between  N17,500.00 and N18,000.
In short,  everything  is costly now we can  hardly make profit in our business. There’s no money anywhere and so if you follow the cost of commodities  to bill your clients, you won’t have any business, so what do  we  do, reduce bill to the barest minimum,” She added.
She called  on government  to put palliative  measures in place  to help cushion the effect of the harsh economic crunchy like providing soft loans for small and medium scale  business, if that is not done there will be serious  crisis  in the country, not just food shortage, crime and violence  will increase, already you can notice that in the rate of kidnap in the state.
On his part, the Secretary of the Market Traders Association of Nigeria, Creek Road market  chapter, Chief Ndubusi  Onu, noted that part of the reason for  the increase in food  prices, was the hike  in transportation occasioned by the increase  in the pump  price of petroleum  products  coupled with the non-payment of salaries, “civil  servants  are our main stay in this buying and selling business.”