Retailers Increase Sugar, Meat Prices
Gibbs Dube
19.03.2013
WASHINGTON — Prices of some basic commodities such as meat, mealie-meal and
sugar have gone up by $1 following an increase of excise duty on fuel
announced by the government last week.
Residents of Harare, Gweru, Bulawayo and Lupane Business Centre told VOA
Studio 7 that the price of a 2 kilogram bag of roller meal has gone up from
$6 to $7.
They say ration meat prices also went up Saturday from $4 to $6 a kilogram.
Lupane villager Kennie Mpofu said retailers are attributing the price
increases to petrol prices which went from $1.50 to $1.59 cents a litre in
some parts of the country.
“These shocking increases have driven away shoppers who can’t manage to buy
what they want,” said Mpofu.
Director Rosemary Siyachitema of the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe said the
price increases will affect poor Zimbabweans currently living below the
breadline of about $590 per month for an urban family of six.
“We always expect prices of basic commodities to go up whenever there are
fuel price hikes,” said Siyachitema.