with: Elizabeth J. Kamara
Market Watch is a column that looks at the prices of commodities and other materials in various markets across Freetown. It seeks the views of traders as well as customers on the sale of their goods and prices at which the last consumer buys.
Ahead of the June 24th 2023 elections, business people have expressed frustration and disappointment over the snail pace at which their goods are being sold.
In this edition of market watch, Concord Times Elizabeth J. Kamara interviewed some shop owners dealing in stationaries in Freetown to know the changes that have taken place over time.
Speaking to this medium, Abdulai Kamara is a shop owner at Regent road who deals in school materials. He observed that increase in the prices of stationery was becoming alarming as prices have doubled since last month making business very slow for them.
Below are the current prices of stationeries at Regent Road Market:
| 80 pages books | Per packet | Nle55.00 | |
| 200 pages books | Per packet | NL 90.00 | |
| Verbal reasoning | Per set | NLe50.00 | |
| Quantitative reasoning | Per set | Nle50.00 | |
| Chalk | Per box | Nle15.00 | |
| Pen | Per box | Nle60.00 | |
| A4 paper | per box | Nle500.00 | |
| Ruler | Per packet | Nle50.00 | |
| Erasers | Per packet | Nle40.00 | |
| Aki-olla series | Each types | Nle180.00 | |
| Spiral | Per box | Nle90.00 | |
| Marker | packet | Nle40.00 | |
| Pencils | cartoon | Nle20500.00 | |
| Crayon | box | Nle200.00 | |
| Stamp pad | packet | Nle200.00 | |
| A3 paper | Per box | Nle1000.00 | |
| Oxford dictionnaire | Large size | Nle250.00 | |
| Stapper pin | For 100 | Nle1000.00 |
