Tubmanburg City
By: Gabriel Parker
BOMI COUNTY – Marketers in Bomi County are raising alarms over the declining state of business in the region, attributing the downturn largely to a lack of employment opportunities.
Many of those affected—primarily women—say they turned to petty trading as a means of survival after being unable to secure formal jobs.
However, the worsening economic climate is now making it increasingly difficult to sustain even these small ventures.
In recent interviews, several market women expressed frustration over the drop in sales and the limited flow of money within the county, which they say is crippling purchasing power and leaving traders with little or no income.
Ma Kebeh, a longtime vendor, shared her concerns: “We came into business with the hope of surviving, but now the customers are not buying like before,” she lamented. “People don’t have money, and our goods are spoiling on the tables.”
The marketers believe the core issue behind the shrinking market activity is the high rate of unemployment among youth and able-bodied residents in Bomi. Without jobs or steady income, they argue, people simply cannot afford to spend in the market—creating a ripple effect that stifles local businesses.
Hawa Cooper, another trader, highlighted the financial burden many small-scale vendors now face:
“We thought doing small business would help us survive, but things have turned the other way. Even to pay back the loans is a problem now,” she told journalists.
Many traders have taken out small loans to fund their businesses, but with declining sales, repaying these debts has become a growing concern.
The marketers are appealing to the government and other development stakeholders to invest in job creation and provide support programs for small businesses, especially in rural areas like Bomi.
They believe that revitalizing the local economy through employment and empowerment initiatives will boost people’s purchasing power—and in turn, revitalize market activity.
In the meantime, the women say they will continue to struggle daily to provide for their families through modest trade, despite the mounting economic hardship.
