The price of a 50 kg bag of gray cement recently skyrocketed in Kindu, capital of the province of Maniema in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It went from 28 to 35 US dollars. This increase is due to the delay in the delivery of bags of cement by train from the National Railway Company (SNCC) from Kisangani, to Samba station, reveals the ACP.
The operators also cited the advanced state of degradation of the national roads, which link the province of Maniema to the neighboring provinces of South and North Kivu and are the main source of supply of gray cement for the region. This phenomenon of constant increase in the price of gray cement is not only observed in Kindu, but is also linked to the total isolation of the province of Maniema over the past four years.
Faced with this alarming situation, the inhabitants of Kindu are called upon to find alternative solutions for obtaining supplies of cement, pending a resolution of the problem of the delivery of bags of gray cement. Indeed, this increase in the cost of the bag of cement only accentuates the poverty of the local population, which does not have enormous means to meet the needs will be difficult.
The overall economic situation in the DRC is worrying, with continuing challenges in the agriculture, transport and other sectors. We can cite the recent launch of a call for tenders by MMG Kinsevere SARL for the construction of concrete slabs and retaining walls for the new Ew hangar, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the east of the country, debates on dowry and polygamy, and many more. The context is complex, but it is to be hoped that the authorities will manage to put in place effective solutions to improve the situation.