Huge gap in figures concerning increases in food prices during Lent

In a feature published on February 20, An Nahar daily quoted figures of the Consumers Protection Association (CPA) which have shown a remarkable rise in prices of food products, particularly those of fruits and vegetables at the start of the Christian fasting season. According to CPA president, Zuheir Berro, the increase varied according to regions, pointing to a 30-40% difference in price levels within the Administrative Beirut area as compared to the capital’s suburbs, and even a greater difference compared with Tripoli which reached sometimes 200%. Meanwhile, the Technical Bureau of Prices released a report detailing the average prices of basic commodities of the small food basket covering some 60 items which has been sampled from 53 sale points across the Lebanese governorates. The sample was taken two weeks before and one week after the fasting period, between January 25 and February 8, 2016. Data indicated an increase by only 0.3% in the overall rate of the prices of the food basket, with a significant 7.5% increase in vegetables. (For a detailed list of prices, please visit: http://www.economy.gov.lb/public/uploads/files/7513_9803_1628.pdf). On the other hand, Dr. Ali Berro, head of the prices bureau, noted that the variation in figures is the result of differences in the certified basket of prices. He explained that the CPA’s adopts narrower basket which included fewer commodities which renders the comparison between the two baskets impossible. For his part, the director of the Consumers Protection, Engineer Tarek Younis, noted that the Ministry of Economy has not received any complaints about any extraordinary price increases, except for one food item, the watercress, which jumped as a result of the market supply and demand fluctuations during the fasting season. (An Nahar, February 20, 2016)