Yet another power outage sparked a protest in the capital on Sunday morning. The tension increases every day a little more. After the rise in gasoline and public transport, fruit and vegetables are soaring. Prices have just doubled. Meanwhile, in Tamatave, the authorities have just burned 150 tons of rotten rice.
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The situation is seriously complicated in Madagascar. A power outage in the capital on Sunday morning was enough to provoke a demonstration. The inhabitants of the district ofItaosy took to the streets at 6am. They burned tires and vented their anger against the leaders. Relative calm returned in the early afternoon.
The Jiramaa Malagasy water and electricity distribution company is singled out, but is it the only responsible for this situation?
Associations of citizens and those close to power are asking the President of the Republic to take strict measures against this company and its leaders, whom they describe as “incompetent”, writes Madagascar-Tribune.
Direct intervention by the executive is risky, if nothing changes! Then, they would become obvious that the problem is structural and not punctual.
This spontaneous demonstration of the inhabitants of a district of the capital, is it so surprising?
The rise in the price of gasoline, public transport, many products in grocery stores and now fruit and vegetables have got the better of the few ariary paid on salaries. This revaluation was to cushion the consequences of inflation. Unfortunately, they will not be enough (average salary of a worker 172552 Ar, or 40 € per month). Since Tuesday, fruit and vegetable prices have doubled.
Midi-Madagascar has just consulted the ADID survey (Agency for Inclusive and Sustainable Development), the results are worrying. The prices of certain vegetables have increased by more than 100% compared to the prices posted at the same period in 2021.
- Tomatoes: today cost Ar 2,000 and Ar 3,000 per kilo against Ar 1,000 to Ar 1,200
- The kilo of potatoes: 1,800 Ar and 3,000 Ar, instead of 800 Ar and 1,000 Ar
- Carrots: 2,000 Ar and 3,000 Ar and in 2021, 700 Ar and 800 Ar last year
Other labels, in the markets of the capital, have increased by 150 or even 500%.
The authorities were forced to burn 150 tonnes of rice, which had become unfit for consumption
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This Tuesday, August 2 is also marked by the destruction of 150 tons of rice. The Tamatave authorities requested arbitration from the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Consumer Affairs (MICC), before burning the cargo of “vary tsinjo” imported by the State. According to officials, the order was damaged by sacks of rice from a private importer. This merchandise, already damaged, contaminated the bags ordered by the government. They were stored just above in the same calle.
Eventually it was decided to destroy the 150 tons. “This operation was carried out in the presence of the regional management for Atsinanana as well as officials from the State procurement of Madagascar (SPM) company, under the eyes of the local authorities”, specifies 2424.mg.