Wave of Price Increases
Around The Corner
Financial experts are
advising to keep a close
on expenditures as a new
wave of price increases
is around the corner.
This week we saw the
price of milk, one of
the main "canasta basica"
(basic basket) products,
go up ¢30 to ¢45 colones
per litre.
The Dos Pinos
Cooperative, which
processed 85% of the
milk consumed in Costa
Rica and part of Central
America, said the rest
of the dairy products
will experiment a
similar increase.
The company justified
the increase with the
rise of costs of
production inputs for
animal food at
international level,
especially corn, soy,
wheat oil, fertilizers
and others. The rise in
the prices of fuel, the
shipments, containers,
electric energy and
salaries were also the
cause.
The company said it
would begin selling milk
in plastic bags
beginning this month to
cut down on costs.
However, the wave of
increases will not stop
just at milk products, a
series of services and
foods that make up the
canasta basica are
expected to be affected.
Taxi and bus fares,
gasoline, water rates
will all be affected.
The Corporación Pipasa,
the major producer of
poultry products,
announced a strong
possibility on a series
of "price adjustments"
for many of its
products.
The price of a kilo of
rice will go up ¢200,
public bus operators are
looking for a 4.75%
increase on fares on 732
routes around the
country, taxi drivers
are seeking an increase
of ¢20 colones on each
additional kilometre and
the AyA (water and sewer
utility) will be
charging an average of
¢800 colones more on
every water bill to tis
500.000 customers.
The decision for any
increase and any amount
is up to the Autoridad
Reguladora de los
Servicios Públicos (Aresep).
|
