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Monday, June 11, 2007

The market report

Inflation in Venezuela is doing fine. Last month we got 1.7%. Official that is, as the real one is probably way above 2%. See, when the Central Bank goes to a store to check out on prices, if the items are missing they assume that the price was the same as last month, or even worse, that it is the government fixed price.

Last Saturday for example at my local Central Madeirense there was no cooking oil (it has been missing now for a month). Even olive oil stocks are going down now.

There was no milk, powder, fresh, low fat, UHT, whatever, nada, zero, nothing. Only by sheer luck, when I arrived they had just put a few half gallons of 1% fat fresh milk. By the time I was done with my shopping, the shelf was already empty.

There was no white sugar. This one has been missing since last year, so who cares at this point....

There was little pasta. Venezuelans eat a lot of pasta and usually there is about 8 to 12 brands available each one with several presentations. Saturday were down to two brands.

There was no beef or chicken. Only low cuts such as tongue, pork feet, gut, liver, etc...

Since my last report, no improvement. I did take a lot of toilet paper though, there were only two brands left of that item...

-The end-

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