My recent visit to a popular supermarket chain, made me realise they should revert to their former name, since they are charging high prices when they should be low. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the cost on some of the items I usually purchased remained the same, so I didn’t bother to observe the cash register on check out.
You can thus imagine my chagrin on getting home and checking my bill—instead of revising the prices of goods to reflect the new and supposedly reduced VAT inclusive cost, they are charging 12.5 per cent on former VAT inclusive prices. We paying 27.5 per cent VAT!
As expected, we the consumers are paying more for items that should have seen a reduction in costs. Didn’t we predict this? No one cares how the people survive. “It’s food,” they say, “they will pay whatever price.” And indeed we are paying the price! A high one indeed.
Needless to say I made use of the email given by consumer affairs and I was given assurance that “officers from the Consumer Affairs Division are currently out in their numbers and will be monitoring and regulating the market to correct such inconsistencies.” Despite this assurance I have absolutely no faith that changes will be made at this or any other supermarket. These businessmen continue to behave unscrupulously and our accounting agencies continue to let them.
Have you noticed how quiet our country has become? Where are all the union leaders who were so vociferous in fighting for the people’s rights? Where is the MSJ who spoke vehemently against corruption? Fixin T&T no longer wants things fixed? They probably all peeling cassava.
I suggest that all wholesalers/suppliers take the time to advertise their revised prices given the VAT reduction, so we the citizens can be aware of the prices we should be paying. Bmobile, Kiss Baking and Angostura have done it and I say kudos to them.
So when you’re grocery shopping, walk with your calculators and your voice to demand fairness.
Ingabyrth Alexander