Fight against the cost of living: the government announces a temporary rent freeze

The government intends to strengthen measures to combat the high cost of living. At the end of a meeting devoted to price stabilization, several decisions were announced, including the temporary freezing of rents, the provisional authorization to import certain foodstuffs and the creation of a permanent observatory of the cost of living.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Serigne Guèye Diop, has, according to the APS, indicated that rental prices will soon be the subject of a ministerial decree. The objective is in particular to combat real estate speculation and to review the method of calculating corrected surface areas, through a regulatory system including decrees and orders.

The government also plans to temporarily authorize the importation of certain market garden products, notably carrots and cabbage, in order to deal with seasonal tensions on supply and contribute to the stabilization of prices.

Another measure announced: the creation of a “permanent cost of living observatory”, responsible for monitoring price developments and strengthening consumer protection. The meeting brought together several ministerial departments as well as representatives of the Presidency of the Republic and the Prime Minister’s Office. Trade focused in particular on agricultural products, fishing, meat and housing.

According to Serigne Guèye Diop, the increase in prices of agricultural and fishery products remains strongly linked to seasonality. Regarding meat, he mentioned the supply difficulties linked to insecurity in Mali, presented as the main supplier to Senegal.