The president also ordered the opening of mobile markets to contain the unprecedented rise in food prices.
The measures once morest price increases appear to be a new crusade by Bukele, following pacifying the country with a “war” once morest criminal gangs.
The state-run Consumer Protection Agency has submitted “requests for information to suppliers of the main pharmacy, hardware and supermarket chains that sell mosquito repellents and insecticides,” the agency said in a statement.
El Salvador has been on epidemiological alert since July 2, following the death of three children from dengue. The country has registered 3,692 cases of the disease this year, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The government “will act firmly if an unjustified increase in prices or restriction on sales is found,” the Ombudsman’s Office said.
“The information required ranges from inventories and purchases of mosquito repellent products to sales and consumer prices, in order to prevent abusive practices,” he added, without specifying how much prices have increased.
Avoid middlemen
The mobile market programme will be coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) to promote direct sales and thus avoid intermediaries in strategic points of the country.
“From now on, MAG’s agricultural markets will be open every day,” Bukele wrote on social media X, also highlighting that it will be “purchases at fair prices.”
“With this project, we bring producers, importers and entrepreneurs directly to customers,” he stressed.
Bukele clarified that “the government is only a facilitator, but without intermediaries.”
With this project, we bring producers, importers and entrepreneurs directly to customers.
The Government is only a facilitator, but by cutting out intermediaries, they can offer these prices, better quality and freshness.
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) July 10, 2024
The cost of the basic food basket per family, according to the Central Reserve Bank, is US$256.56 per month, compared to a stagnant minimum wage of US$243 in the agricultural sector, US$359 in maquila and US$365 in commerce and industry.
Under the slogan “Your money goes a long way in Fair Prices Markets!”, the MAG presented a list of prices for tomatoes, onions, cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, peppers and cucumbers, among other products that face price increases of more than 40% in large stores.
In addition, the government created an application to receive complaints in the “fight once morest speculation.”
Inspection of supermarkets
On Monday, July 8, authorities began inspections in supermarket chains following Bukele ordered a crackdown on corporate “mafias” due to unprecedented price increases.
On Friday, the president urged “importers, wholesalers, distributors and marketers of food” to stop “these abuses.”
“I am going to make a call (…) like the one we made to the gang members in 2019,” when he asked these gangs to stop the violence and murders before launching a frontal fight once morest them, in March 2022, the ruler warned the merchants.
“Stop abusing the Salvadoran people (with prices) or they won’t complain later,” he said.
On Sunday, Bukele announced that he will combat corporate “mafias” that raise product prices and increase the cost of living.
Following this announcement, “information requests” were submitted to the six main supermarket chains in the country.
These chains have a period of 10 days to provide information on the price increase of 68 basic products, said the head of the state Consumer Protection Agency, Ricardo Salazar.
On June 1, upon assuming his second term, Bukele promised to improve the economy, albeit with “bitter medicine.”
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