Market leaders across Anambra State have lamented the poor market activities in the year 2023 due to challenges posed by foreign exchange and the Monday sit-at-home.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists on Friday, the President-General of Building Materials Market, Ogidi, Jude Nwankwo, said the situation largely affected turnout during the Yuletide.
Nwankwo said, “We were hit so hard by some of the government policies especially the fuel increase and foreign exchange. Sales dropped drastically this year because customers were no longer coming as they used to come.
“We importers and manufacturers have been finding it difficult to get foreign exchange to transact our business. And when you try to import, for you to pay with the foreign exchange, it’s times three because the rate of devaluation is too much.
“In fact, even to pay salaries of our workers was too hard to do and the workers are also suffering because the payment to them is too meagre to sustain this economic hardship. So, I don’t know how to describe it; it’s a disaster.”
He, however, advised the Federal Government to look into some of these policies and apply some human face to them and make it more business friendly.
“The state government has been crying, fighting hard, and preaching for traders to open shops on Mondays. Because of maybe fear of the unknown, people are not coming to buy, traders are not coming out, transporters are not coming out, bankers are not opening, and people are afraid because of their lives. And, to me, I think the solution is not far-fetched,” he added.
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