New Consumer Price Survey in Juba

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000409 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON PREF SOCI PINR SU SUBJECT: New Consumer Price Survey in Juba ¶1. The following is a listing of prices in the consumer markets of Juba for the week beginning February 6. Items were selected based on an informal survey of the most commonly sold items. A local resident in Juba employed by the USG collected all data. ¶2. While a more formal consumer price index would be weighted to reflect the actual buying habits of consumers and wage earning households, this is not possible in Juba. Residents in Juba are not only living in different economic circumstances, but in different economies. Some, notably those employed by INGOs, live on the monetary economy. Those that work for local business may live on the monetary economy or a mix of money and barter. There are also residents who can only barter, as well as those that are dependant on subsistence farming and hunting/gathering/fishing without any participation in the market economy. Many IDPs and recent returnees fall into the latter two categories. ¶3. Due to the ad hoc nature of data collection, these prices are only intended to be used as a general guide to capture market conditions. CG Juba will collect this information on a monthly basis and develop the data into an informal consumer price index. While informal, changes of prices may be an early indicator in shifts in the economy, the effect of demined road openings, transportation construction and maintenance, or changes in the security situation along trade routes. ¶4. The following prices are arranged by category and generally follow U.S. Department of Labor guidelines. It should be noted that items considered staples in more developed economies, such as meat, are rarely bought luxury items. Almost all items are from Uganda. All prices are in Sudanese Dinar (SD). The current exchange rate is 230 SD = 1 USD. -------------- Food and Beverages -------------- -- 1 dozen eggs: 1,000SD -- 1 kg rice: 300SD -- 1 kg sugar: 250SD -- 1 kg flour: 200SD -- 1 kg sorghum: 1,000SD -- 1 kg maize: 750SD -- .5 kg salt: 100SD -- 1 kg lentil flakes: 400SD -- 1 kg beans: 250SD -- 18 kg bottle of cooking oil: 6,500SD -- 1 kg beef: 600SD -- 1 kg goat: 100SD -- 1 kg fish: 1000SD -- 1 small pile onions (3 small): 280SD -- 1 small pile potatoes (3 small): 200SD -- 1 case beer: 6,000SD -- 1 case Coca-Cola: 4,000SD -------------- Housing and Household Goods -------------- -- 1 small bottle of lantern oil: 300SD -- 1 large bag of charcoal: 3,500SD -- 1 small bunch of firewood (cheapest quality): 50SD -- 1 large bundle of grass for roof thatching: 700SD -- Bar soap (block of three): 100SD -- Bathing soap: 200SD -- Laundry soap: 200SD -------------- Apparel -------------- -- 1 child's dress: 2,200SD -- 1 pair children's shoes: 1,600SD -------------- Transportation -------------- -- Minibus ride: 50SD -------------- Recreation -------------- -- Ticket to football match (cheapest): 100SD STEINFELD