By L.K. Hewlett
St. Kitts Reporter
Government announced on Tuesday that for now, the price of bread and other baked goods would remain the same.
According to Prime Minister Honourable Denzil Douglas, he did not expect the price of bread to be raised, a decision which he commended the bakers on agreeing to.
“Government has been engaged in discussions with our bakers in order to find what is a reasonable increase in the price of flour and how we may insulate the consumers from being negatively impacted by the increase in the price of flour. I must commend the bakers for their strong partnership with the Government negotiating team. We have just arrived at a position in concessionary collaboration where they agreed to hold the price of their products for a while and to have the situation monitored before that group and government can look at the situation again,” he said.
About three weeks ago bakers had cited the cost of flour had increased and that there needed to be a commensurate increase in the price of baked products.
A Post Cabinet briefing issued on Monday informed that despite the increase in the cost of flour purchased from overseas, bakers have agreed to hold the prices of baked goods constant until the end of the first quarter of next year, 2008.
Residents had kept a watchful eye while awaiting a final decision on the price of one of the nation’s top staple, especially since flour is one of the items listed for the impending price control.
The importation of flour is controlled by the federal government and the price of this commodity has already been increased twice for the year.
