In N’Djamena, the cost of essential construction materials is escalating rapidly across hardware stores, posing increasing difficulties for both household renovations and major enterprise projects.
Numerous products have experienced substantial price hikes in recent weeks. A single lambour, previously priced at 3,000 FCFA, now retails for between 4,500 and 5,000 FCFA. The price of chevron has surged from 6,000 to 9,000 FCFA, while a planche blanche, once 9,000 FCFA, now commands 14,000 FCFA. Furthermore, a bag of Dangote cement is currently sold at 11,000 FCFA.
Hardware store operators attribute this dramatic increase in prices primarily to the heightened customs duties levied on imported goods. They assert that these new measures have significantly inflated their supply costs.
Mahamat, a manager at a local hardware store, explained the situation: “Prices have jumped because the new customs tariffs have effectively doubled.”