Today is Saturday and in many homes this is synonymous with shopping day in supermarkets, grocery stores, markets and shopping centers. Before entering, it would be good if they prayed an Our Father or presented themselves with a good calculator to face a harsh reality: the prices of most basic foods have skyrocketed like never before in the last thirty years, registering double-digit increases compared to the 2021. On the same day that inflation seemed to be contained, reaching 8.9% compared to 10.8% in July, the price of the shopping basket reached an increase of 14.4% on average. The list is long, but, to give you an idea, flour and cereals have risen 39%; butter, 33%; pasta, 30%; bakery products, 26%; milk, 25%, and eggs, 24%.
The media and the Government’s attention is on how to contain the increase in energy prices, but behind this lack of control has crept into everything that has to do with the basic economy of citizens. The affected sectors defend themselves with the argument that the rise in prices is due to multiple factors: drought and loss of crops, higher cost of electricity and gas, more expensive fuels and supply crisis. However, one cannot help but think that some intermediaries may be making a killing with the excuse of skyrocketing inflation. It has already happened that some vivales took advantage of the pandemic to obtain great benefits. It would be nice if the Government could establish some type of control of this exorbitant increase in prices.
The measure proposed by the second vice president of the Government, Yolanda Díaz, to try to put a cap on the price of food seems more complicated to apply. After the first warning from her, she had to clarify that this limitation could only be achieved by an agreement between the large food distributors and consumer organizations, and never by a “unilateral” imposition from the Government. But something would have to be done. Raising prices is very easy, but the consequences for the most humble consumers are disastrous. Buying staple foods shouldn’t be a luxury.
