Bakers asks Price Increases

The official price of common bread is $ 0.12.

QUITO, Ecuador

The National Federation of Bakers (Fenapan for its Spanish acronym) today gave a warning about an  imminent increase in the price of common bread.

Fenapan president, Pedro Miranda, said the institution’s  aspiration is that the price of common bread rises from $ 0.12 to $ 0.17 or $ 0.18.

According to Miranda, not only the price of a flour quintal is a relevant factor for the price increase (from $ 10 to $ 42 per quintal), but also the approval of salaries for the artisans, who in January of this year rose from $ 264 to $ 292, the Social Security reforms that even punish with jail if the workers dont get afiliated and, the many permits required to operate.

Miranda claims to have requested meetings with government authorities to address this issue, but he says he has not had favorable results.

“We are respectful, but we’re getting tired because it is not possible to be in meetings after meetings to discuss an issue that is solvable,” said Miranda. (MZ)