Two Tuesdays ago a trip to Massy Stores was disheartening; the grocery bill had noticeably increased. The cleaning lady brought her lunch to work but her customary menu was minus chicken—vegetables and rice. She commented that Tru Valu had raised the price of even “de ole” chicken, which “wasn’t good anyway because it imported and full ah chemicals.”
A retired friend remarked, “Ah really notice de prices went up but I cyah really tell yuh by how much. I doh remember de new prices much less de ole, and I doh keep meh bills.”
In Massy Stores, Maraval, Nestle Svelty Milk had gone from plus or minus $11.50 to $13.49. On the calculator, the increase is 17.3 per cent. Pinehill juice was now retailing at $14.61, up from $12.99, which is an increase of the stipulated 12.5 per cent by law.
Lipton tea, the mainstay of a Trini breakfast, had risen from plus or minus $30 to $34.86, representing an increase of 16.2 per cent. Post Cranberry Almond Crunch cereal was now retailing at $35.43 up from just over $31, representing a 14.3 per cent increase. Brunswick Red Salmon had increased from $31.50 to $35.99, or 14.3 per cent.
I could go on crunching the numbers, but is my pre-February data wrong (sometimes my memory plays tricks) or are the businessmen having a field day at the consumers’ expense? All my percentages should equal 12.5 per cent.
I wonder if Minister Colm Imbert would visit Massy Stores in Maraval tomorrow to double-check the prices. With buying milk alone for two people for the month, my food bill has increased by almost $20. Add in the rest and we have shot way past his $50 prediction. He was there a couple Sundays ago looking very tired and I asked myself if he was gauging crowd reaction or making notes of zero-rated prices.
So how can an ordinary consumer know if he or she is being exploited?
Should supermarkets have been obligated to publish the old and new prices on zero-rated goods and have these publicly displayed for the sake of transparency?
I’m not advocating for any more commissions of enquiry or committees to be established. We certainly have enough of those. However, instead of sending store cardholders emails about products they will never buy, emails could have been sent on price changes for the products that customers do buy, based on their purchase profile.
I guess we don’t have that kind of software analytics as yet in Trinidad. What I need I suppose is an accessible bureau of consumer protection to address my concerns and bring any perpetrators in line. This may be more feasible.
I tried downloading the forms, “How To Make A Complaint” and “Online Consumer Complaint Form” for the Consumer Affairs Division on the ttconnect website but the pages could not be found. I guess that there is always the option of visiting the office on Duncan Street with my grocery bills and an official list of previously zero-rated items.
However, that would require taking time off from work as their office hours are 8 am to 4 pm and they too may not have access to original food prices for Massy Stores in the last three months. Ah well, at least we have no food shortages like in neighbouring Venezuela, and Mr Imbert clearly appreciates that food is an emotive issue between a Trini and his government.
Soraya Aziz