Bundles of sticks and figs are sold for 40 Br around the Gofa area, as urbanites prepare for Mesqel celebrations. Soaring prices of everyday amenities in the capital as conflict resurges in Ethiopia's north has Addis Abeba residents haggling fervently in this holiday season. As the price of a quintal of teff stabilised above 10,000 Br mark this year and a kilogram of onions soared past 100 Br, city dwellers have been counting pennies trying to stretch their holiday budget. The capital's trade bureau has allocated a 1.4 billion Br revolving fund to combat the galloping prices to a mixed bag of results while the country's central bank has reoriented its monetary policy towards inflation objectives.