Cost of living continues to rise
[posted 27 July 2011,1600]
A quick survey of current prices for food
and basic consumer goods on supermarket shelves show most items have gone up
in price in the past six months, showing increases ranging from 5% to 55%
(refer to table below).
The survey carried out last week, compared
current prices of everyday items with prices in January 2011 after VAT was
increased to 15% under Budget 2011.
The only good news is in the area of
garlic, onions and potatoes which have all come down in price notably since
January. Potatoes have seen a 40% drop in price – from $2.38 per kg in
January to $1.49kg. Onions are down 20% from $2kg to $1.62 and garlic 10%
from $3.29 for 500g to $2.95. Carrots are slightly down by 3%.
In the six month period surveyed, the four
largest increases registered were for staple food items: sugar, sharps,
butter and cooking oil. The price of flour/sharps shot up by 30% from $10.99
to $14.26 for a 10kg bag.
The price of cooking oil (Punja’s Soya
Bean) rose 16% from $3.56 to $4.11 for a 750ml bottle.
Rewa butter registered a 21% hike in six
months following the latest increase granted by the Commerce Commission
which puts Butter at a prohibitive price of $7.34c for a 500g pack.
Pre-devaluation (April 2009) butter (500g) sold for $3.29 - a massive 123%
hike since then.
The price for sugar has jumped almost 90%
in six months from $2.39 (2kg bag) to $4.50. We recall a time a couple of
years ago when sugar was selling for 95c a kg.
Another shocker is the current price for
cooking gas at almost $50 ($49 a 12kg cylinder) - a 31% hike from its
pre-devaluation price of $37.50.
While on fuel, the price of unleaded Super
has jumped 60% since pre-devaluation – from $1.57 a litre to the current
price of $2.50. Taken over a 6 month period from January 2011, the increase
is 5.5%.
The increase in the price of Diesel for
the same period (since pre-devaluation) is even more shocking – up almost
80% from $1.33 per litre to $2.37 ltr. In the six months from January it has
risen 15%.
In the beverages range, the cost of Milo has jumped 55% from $6.99 (500g) to
$10.79.
In the meat section, lamb/mutton cuts have
increased in price by about 5% while Crest chicken has gone down slightly -
1.6% from $12.59 to $12.39 for a size 15. Canned fish and meat have
increased by between 5-7% in price since January.
Prices for one or two items surveyed have
remained static over the six month period such as Cold Power laundry
detergent and Breakfast cracker biscuits.
The survey did not take into account
market produce, prices for which have gone up 100% or more in the past six
months since VAT went up to 15%. Gone are the days when you could pick up
vegetables for $1 a bundle – the $2 bundles are now noticeably smaller.
Tomatoes continue to be expensive
fluctuating at between $10-12 a kg, tiny ones at that, despite them being
in-season.
|
Price of Basic Household Items (21 July 2011) |
|
|
|
|
A |
C |
D |
C-D |
C-D |
|
|
Items |
QTY |
Pre-devaluation Price |
Post Vat- Increased Price |
Post Vat- Increased Price |
Price Diff Btw Post Vat Price Jan & Post Vat Jul 2011 |
% Diff btw Post Vat Jan - Post Vat July 2011 |
|
|
|
|
Mar-09 |
20-Jan-11 |
21-Jul-11 |
|
|
|
|
Meat |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lamb
Neck/curry Pieces |
1kg |
$
3.99 |
$
8.00 |
$
8.40 |
$0.40 |
5.00 |
|
|
Lamb
Chops (BBQ chops/slices/Curry pieces |
1kg |
$
7.99 |
$
13.16 |
$
13.82 |
$0.66 |
5.02 |
|
|
Crest
Chicken |
#15 |
$
8.99 |
$
12.59 |
$
12.39 |
-$0.20 |
-1.59 |
|
|
Canned Meat/Fish |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
444 44 |
Oxford
Beef |
340g |
$
3.15 |
$
3.70 |
$
3.89 |
$0.19 |
5.14 |
| |
Canterbury Corned Mutton |
340g |
$
3.15 |
$
3.89 |
$
4.08 |
$0.19 |
4.88 |
| |
Brunswick Mackeral in Tomato Sauce |
425g |
$
3.19 |
$
2.39 |
$
2.55 |
$0.16 |
6.69 |
| |
Groceries |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Garlic
480 -500g |
500g |
$
0.65 |
$
3.29 |
$
2.95 |
-$0.34 |
-10.33 |
| |
Potatoes |
kg |
$
0.99 |
$
2.38 |
$
1.49 |
-$0.89 |
-37.39 |
| |
Onions |
kg |
$
0.89 |
$
2.00 |
$
1.62 |
-$0.38 |
-19.00 |
| |
Carrot |
kg |
$
1.15 |
$
3.59 |
$
3.49 |
-$0.10 |
-2.79 |
| |
FMF
Flour (Normal) |
10kg |
$
10.19 |
$
10.99 |
$
14.26 |
$3.27 |
29.75 |
| |
Sungrown
Rice |
10kg |
$
14.99 |
$
12.49 |
$
12.16 |
-$0.33 |
-2.64 |
| |
Punjas
Soya Bean Oil |
4lt |
$
12.50 |
$
17.61 |
$
20.31 |
$2.70 |
15.33 |
| |
Punjas
Soya Bean Oil |
750ml |
|
$
3.56 |
$
4.11 |
$0.55 |
15.45 |
| |
Sugar |
2kg |
|
$
2.39 |
$
4.49 |
$2.10 |
87.87 |
| |
Cereals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Weetbix
(Sanitarium) |
375g |
$
2.79 |
$
4.09 |
$
4.39 |
$0.30 |
7.33 |
| |
FMF
Breakfast Crackers |
375g |
$
1.05 |
$
1.35 |
$
1.35 |
$0.00 |
0.00 |
| |
Beverages |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Milo
|
500g |
$
6.99 |
$
6.99 |
$
10.79 |
$3.80 |
54.36 |
| |
Punjas
Ceylon Tea (Loose) |
200g |
$
1.69 |
$
2.49 |
$
2.42 |
-$0.07 |
-2.81 |
| |
Dairy
Products |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Rewa
Butter |
500g |
$
3.29 |
$
6.09 |
$
7.34 |
$1.25 |
20.53 |
| |
Rewa
Life (White Pkt) |
1lt |
$
1.65 |
$
1.95 |
$
1.98 |
$0.03 |
1.54 |
| |
Rewa
Full Cream Powdered |
500g |
$
5.39 |
$
5.53 |
$
5.83 |
$0.30 |
5.42 |
| |
Redcow
Powdered Milk |
500g |
$
5.99 |
$
5.70 |
$
5.39 |
-$0.31 |
-5.44 |
| |
Punjas
Ghee |
750ml |
$
6.99 |
$
11.49 |
$
12.18 |
$0.69 |
6.01 |
| |
Detergents/Toiletries |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Colgate
Herbal |
100g |
$
1.79 |
$
2.89 |
$
2.99 |
$0.10 |
3.46 |
| |
Toilet
Rolls Viti (1) |
1000s |
$
1.00 |
$
1.95 |
$
1.85 |
-$0.10 |
-5.13 |
| |
Axion
Dishwashing Paste |
400g |
$
2.19 |
$
2.99 |
$
3.49 |
$0.50 |
16.72 |
| |
Cold
Power |
900g |
$
3.49 |
$
4.99 |
$
4.99 |
$0.00 |
0.00 |
| |
Pacific
Washing Soap |
900g |
$
2.79 |
$
3.59 |
$
3.99 |
$0.40 |
11.14 |
| |
Protex
(Bath Soap) |
90g |
$
0.89 |
$
0.99 |
$
1.39 |
$0.40 |
40.40 |
| |
Fuel/Cooking Gas |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Fiji Gas
|
12kg |
$
37.50 |
$
45.50 |
$
49.00 |
$3.50 |
7.69 |
| |
Unleaded
Super |
ltr |
$
1.57 |
$
2.37 |
$
2.50 |
$0.13 |
5.49 |
| |
Diesel |
ltr |
$
1.33 |
$
2.07 |
$
2.37 |
$0.30 |
14.49 |
|