SOUTHERN PROVINCE

MUHANGA — Consumption of soft drinks has gone up in the past one week in Muhanga and Ruhango districts as a result of big number of people on holiday.

Some businessmen claim that the there is scarcity of beverages and that the beer and soft drink producing company Bralirwa has limited its supply to its dealers.

By Christmas and boxing day most of the shops in the two districts had increased the price of a bottle of soda by 100francs, while other moderate kiosks increased by 50francs.

Normally, a bottle of soda costs Frw200 and the prices are set to hang on for the next few days close to New Years day.

"There was underestimation on the rate of consumption. This season is much unpredicted and most of the drinks had been bought by big merchants who suffocated the small businesses” Jean Paul Habimana, a kiosk dealer in Ruhango said.

The beverage dealers also said that there was less supply of drinks by Braliwa depots and no emergency stock set aside to combat the drop off.

 Residents resorted to drinking juice as a replacement for the sodas in most of the restaurants. "We have no option but to take what is cheap, since we cannot afford an extra coin yet business in slow this time” a taxi conductor said.

However, all prices of malt (beer) products remained constant except in a few cases where some bars and restaurants increased by Frw50 on each bottle.

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