Angola: Consumers Skeptical About Prices During the Festive Season

Luanda — Citizens of Luanda defend the combination of efforts and the adoption of more assertive measures between the Government and partners in order to avoid price speculation during the festive season.

On the eve of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, some citizens interviewed by ANGOP expressed concern about the possible increase in the price of products in the formal and informal markets, especially food, and therefore called for strict positions and reforms in procedures.

According to consumers, the situation deserves more attention and accountability, with a comprehensive dialogue and as many actors as possible, as we are experiencing times of inflation.

In some supermarkets, there was a variation in the price of basic food items such as a liter of cooking oil, costing between three and two thousand kwanzas, and sugar, the kg of which can be purchased for between 900 and 1,200 kwanzas, although there are also products that maintained their value, at least until the closing of this report, namely egg cartons (4,500 kz) and duck (5,000 kz) in certain supermarkets.

In the informal market, for example, potatoes and tomatoes have undergone a change of almost one hundred percent, now costing a 25-kilogram box of tomatoes 20 thousand kwanzas and a 10-kg bucket of potatoes four thousand kwanzas.

However, there are difficulties for families in acquiring basic necessities to be able to provide a decent festive period.

City dweller Augusto considers that the change in prices has been relative, dependent on the quality of the product, while Antónia Pacavira is of the opinion that the difficulties in acquiring food are due to the weak purchasing power and not so much to prices or scarcity of products.

In turn, Ena Caieie mentioned that there has been a constant significant increase in prices since November in the country, which, in her opinion, is not justified, although she recognizes that it is a reality in other parts of the world.

For you, there are price adjustments that are necessary, however, they must be made reasonably.

She suggested that the Government set, on a quarterly basis, minimum and maximum prices for products that are most consumed at this time.

In other supermarkets where the round took place, the price of a kilo of sugar varies between 969 and 1,310 kwanzas, that of wheat flour between 710 and 1,000 kwanzas and a liter of oil from 2,000 to 3,149 kwanzas.

Speaking to ANGOP, the executive coordinator of the Consumer Protection Association, Gilberto dos Santos, highlighted that this has been a problem for years, which makes it difficult to satisfy consumers’ needs, despite some Government measures such as the annual campaign against speculation of prices, developed by the National Authority for Economic Inspection and Food Safety (ANIESA).

According to the interlocutor, it is a tendency, at this time, for products such as cornmeal, wheat flour, oil, sugar, pasta and rice to increase in price.

He called for a dialogue with all sectors in order to find a “common denominator” for better results in the coming years.

He called for a dialogue with all sectors in order to find a “common denominator” for better results in the coming years.

He suggested carrying out a study on the subject, with the basic food basket consisting of products from a community’s healthy diet.