Source: Cost of living decreases — consumer report – Sunday News Jun 18, 2017
Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S cost of living decreased marginally by 0,24 percentage points to $577,77 in May from the previous month’s figure of $579,15 driven by the sales promotions supermarkets continue to run.
Official data by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) shows that the cost of living as measured by the consumer watchdog’s low income urban earner monthly basket for a family of six continued on a downward trend decreasing by $1,38.
“The cost of living as measured by the CCZ’s low income urban earner monthly basket for a family of six decreased from the end-April figure of $ 579,15 to $577,77 by end-May 2017. The food basket decreased by $1,74 from $133,80 by end-April to $132,06 by end-May 2017. The price of detergents increased by $0,36 from $11,35 to $11,71,” said the consumer watchdog.
It said decreases were recorded in margarine by $0,06 from $1,05 to $0,99, mealie meal by $0,02 from $11,85 to $11,83, sugar by $0,03 from $1,88 to $1,85, tea leaves by $0,05 from $1,65 to $1,60, bread by $0,05 from $0,70 to $0,65.
Flour also decreased by $0,05 from $1,80 to $1,75, tomatoes by $0,06 from $0,80 to $0,74 while meat went down by $0,15 from $4,40 to $4,25.
“As CCZ we assume that the decrease in prices has been caused by promotions on various commodities in some supermarkets such as the OK Grand Challenge promotion. Supermarkets are competing to entice and attract consumers to buy from them,” it said.
The consumer watchdog also noted that despite the decrease in price of some products, price increases were recorded in products such as cooking oil by $0,06 from $1,39 to $1,45, rice by $0,13 from $1,85 to $1,98.
During the period under review, salt also went up by $0,03 from $0,25 to $0,28, onions by $0,10 from $1,15 to $1,25, while cabbage by $0,17 from $0,75 to $0,92 and bath soap by $0,09 from $0,60 to $0,69.
“The price of milk, washing powder and laundry bar remained unchanged. The CCZ continues to encourage consumers to shop conscientiously and to always buy certified products. Where the products are not certified, to exercise their right to information by carefully examining if the products they are purchasing are well labelled, packaged and provided with vital information such as manufacturing and expiry dates and ingredients used in the make-up of the products,” it said.
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