By Alex Yomah
A huge number of the Liberia’s youthful population are on the streets on a daily basis trading GSM data and minutes in every nook and corner as means of getting their daily bread and school fees in Monrovia and its environs.
With this new wave of fresh business especially under the CDC-led Government, young school going kids are seemed in the various communities during school hours with the famous noise “Buy your minute and data right-here.”
This new business strategy apparently developed by the GSM companies have attracted many young Liberians as their newest and fast moving money making venture but without any courtesy that it is creating public disturbances.
This paper on yesterday took a tour to some of the young Liberians involved to ascertain what is propelling the GSM minutes and dates business and interestingly, some termed it as the Pro-poor job created by GSM companies operating in Liberia.
John C. Davies, one of the GSM minutes and data traders claimed to be an 11th grade student, averred that the business is attracting more young people because is the fastest market now in Liberia without losses.
“Though it entails more walking, the more you invest, the more profits one makes as the seller. You can start with L$900 like me, and in the period of three weeks my principle swells to like L$4,000 plus,” Davis explained.
According to him, there are some of his colleagues who invested over L$20,000 in the minutes and data and today, “They too have attracted more people in the business.”
GSM’s minute and data traders’ only challenge is that to get your transactions, you must go on foot from one end to another even if it is in the communities and they said, “Sometimes we have to tour several communities in day time.”
Another trader who is stationed just opposite this paper refused to be identified but indicated, “No company for us to work with to earn money to pay our school fees. We deserve to go to school and better our lives as well but we do not have the opportunities like others and most importantly, we do not want to steal and so, we do this business to be able to cater to ourselves and largely to take care of families.”
It is for a fact that the economy is getting tight by the day, but many residence have begun complaining that it is becoming annoying as this business is very noisy and disturbs public peace.