Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. John Briceño, in reference to an impending hike in the price of bread, said that an announcement about the price of bread will be made at the upcoming meeting of the House of Representatives.
By Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June. 2, 2022
In late April, some Belizeans began to notice an uptick in the price of locally produced packs of bread in various grocery stores and supermarkets, and reports began circulating that the price of bread had indeed “gaan up”! For many members of the public, it was an inevitability that they had been expecting, due to the increased prices of various ingredients used by bakers in the preparation of their dough as well as materials used during production and in packaging—most notably the increase in the price of wheat due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which are two of the world’s largest exporters of that grain. Confirmation a few weeks earlier from the Соntrоllеr оf Ѕuррlіеѕ іn thе Ѕuррlіеѕ Соntrоl Unіt оf thе Міnіѕtrу оf Аgrісulturе, Lеnnох Nісhоlѕоn, thаt АDМ Веlіzе Міllѕ, which produces Lа Gіtаnа аnd Веbе Аguа flоur, had submitted a request for an іnсrеаѕе іn thе соntrоllеd рrісеѕ had further solidified the expectation that a bread price hike could not be avoided. And when local bakers also submitted requests for permission to increase the price of bread, most Belizeans thought the new prices were a done deal.
But during that last week in April of this year, when a number of bakeries and stores started selling
bread formerly priced at $1.75 per pack for $2.50, several members of Cabinet informed the public that the price hike had not been approved.
An AMANDALA article dated Wednesday, April 27, stated that during an interview earlier that week, “Minister of Education Hon. Francis Fonseca noted that, because the prices of flour and bread are controlled by government, and since government has not yet given the green light for any change in the base prices of those products, any increase in the price of bread is illegal, and store owners selling at new rates are in direct violation of the law.”
“They are in absolute contravention of the law. It is illegal. It’s illegal. They have no authority to do that. Bread is a controlled price substance, so they have no authority to do that. And until the law is changed, until there is some approval for the price to change, they are in violation of the law,” Hon. Fonseca had said.
The public was then informed that Cabinet had asked the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Jose Mai, to present a paper on the bakers’ request so that a substantive discussion could be carried out before any decision was made.
Subsequently, however, the Cabinet issued a brief which stated, “Cabinet determined that no price increase will be allowed at this time. In addition, Cabinet instructed the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise to engage with the Association of Bakers to ensure other alternatives to minimize the possibility of drastic increases in the price of a 16-ounce pack of bread.”
The AMANDALA had thus reported, “Cabinet has announced that there will be no increase in the controlled price of bread at this time. The decision was made after a Cabinet meeting at which proposed price adjustments submitted by local bakers were tabled by Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Jose Mai.”
Today, however, the Prime Minister of Belize, while talking to local reporters, made remarks that seem to indicate that the government might be ready to allow bakers, who have been saying that their expenses now exceed their earnings, to make price alterations so that they can stay financially afloat.
GoB might officially give that green light to the bakers tomorrow, June 3, during the upcoming sitting of the House of Representatives.
Hon. Briceño told local media on Thursday, June 2, that the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security & Enterprise, Hon. Jose Mai, who had submitted to Cabinet the bakeries’ proposals for adjustments to the price of a 16-ounce loaf of bread, will be making an announcement at tomorrow’s House of Representatives meeting regarding the Cabinet’s decision.
“We’re trying to find a way to minimize the increase in bread. Everybody knows that price will have to go up, and we’re trying to find creative ways on how we can hold down the price as best as we can, and Minister Mai, who’s his responsibility, will be making an announcement tomorrow at the House meeting,” said PM Briceño.