Food Price controls to be extended
PANAMA’S price control committee will recommend to the President, Juan Carlos Varela a six month’s extension of price controls on the 22 products that make up the country’s Canasta (basic food basket ) If accepted the, the controls would be extended until January.
Meliton Arrocha, Minister of Commerce and Industry (Mici), said that the measure has curbed the rise in prices a year ago the increase was $5 a month, and now it is 40 cents.
“Some employers are not happy with the move, but we also have people who ask us to include more products to control prices,” the official said.
The measure covers 22 products and according to the authorities, has a positive impact on the consumption of chicken and egg.
Yesterday, Arrocha met with the Minister of Agricultural Development, Jorge Arango; and the director of the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition (Acodeco), Oscar Garcia Cardoze, to analyze the impact of the decision to freeze wholesale prices After the meeting, the authorities indicated that the actual savings have been $48, $10 less than promised by Varela in his election campaign.
During the first five months of the year 2,244 anomalies were reported in the marketing of the 22 products in various commercial outlets in the country.earning fines totaling $98,000.
