To survive with $ 375 a month or die trying

The basic salary in Ecuador is not enough. Carlos and Luis (protected names) have proven it. Carlos is married, has three children and is the only one who works; Luis is single and lives with his parents. Living with $ 375 a month is a challenge without winners.

This reality is the exception to the statement made in February 2017 by the Ecuadorian Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC): ‘A typical home in Ecuador has four members, and more than one earns the basic salary.’ So far from true…

The family basket has 75 articles and the vital basket 73 articles of smaller quantity and quality. By July 2017 the vital basket was calculated at $ 507, while the family basket exceeds that figure at $ 200.

And here comes the big question: who is to blame for the crisis? the state or the employers? The state charges large taxes to employers, who in turn raise the final price of the products to compensate for their “loss” but wages never improve. A word to the wise is enough. (I)