Youth around the Saris area weave bread baskets for sale in a losing battle against inflation. As the federal government aspires to become "self-sufficient", subsidised bakeries like Sheger Bread have ceased operation due to wheat supply hiccups. Well before the full brunt of an austere budget is felt by the citizenry, an uptick in conflict in regional states has cast a grim shadow over the lives of everyday people. The recent decision by the central bank to cap credit growth rates at 14pc for next year has served to exacerbate fears of falling living standards for a national economy accustomed to surplus credit.

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