Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye has reduced the prices of basic commodities to ease the financial burden of meeting necessities, a move welcomed by households across the country.

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Thursday, June 13 announced measures aimed at reducing the prices of certain essential goods, as well as easing the economic challenges, according to reports.

These reductions are intended to provide financial relief to Senegalese families facing persistent economic challenges. The government strives to respond to the daily concerns of citizens by acting directly on the cost of living, particularly on basic commodities essential to households.

The commodities affected by the reductions include rice, sugar, oil and bread.

For crystallized sugar, 50 FCFA is reduced per kilogram, bringing the price from 650 FCFA to 600 FCFA, and the unflavored broken rice maximum selling price is now set at 410 FCFA, thus reducing the cost for consumers by 40 FCFA while the government secured the importation of 80,000 tonnes of Indian rice, reports say.

This measure aims to stabilise the market and lower the price of rice below 400 FCFA from August 2024.

The price of a 20-liter bottle of refined oil has decreased by 100 FCFA per liter.

For bread, the 190-gram baguette sees its price reduced by 15 FCFA, going from 175 FCFA to 160 FCFA.

The drop in prices of essential foodstuffs, promised by the new authorities since their ascension to power, comes into force, according to the government.