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Consumers are unhappy
The average cost for a basket of groceries has shot up to Dh500, supermarket customers said yesterday, complaining they were spending more for basics this Ramadan.
- By Mahmoud Saberi, Wafa Eisa, Mariam Al Serkal and Nassouh Nazzal, Staff Reporters
- Published: 23:34 May 3, 2009
- Supermarket customers have complained about price-hikes during Ramadan.
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
Dubai: The average cost for a basket of groceries has shot up to Dh500, supermarket customers said yesterday, complaining they were spending more for basics this Ramadan.
Click here for selected commodities prices (pdf)
A UAE national said she buys more food during Ramadan as she is tempted by the promotions and special offers. Some of the items which have become more expensive during Ramadan was wheat, Vimto, custard and milk powder, said Kaltham, a mother of six.
A Filipina said prices of foodstuffs had gone up across the board, whether it is Ramadan or not. "The only thing that has not gone up is soft drinks, which are still Dh1 per can," she said.
Major retailers had met yesterday with the Department of Economic Development to push for higher food prices but were blocked by the Union Cooperatives which did not want any hike during Ramadan, sources said.
The Union Cooperative Society has sent out faxes to all its suppliers saying that it is "not going to accept any price increment during Ramadan". Ebrahim Al Bahar, assistant general manager of the Society, said there was pressure from suppliers to raise prices. "Retailers have been pushing since June to raise prices," he said.
A spokesman of Lulu Supermarkets said the increase in prices has been nominal this year and the highest increase is for Pakistani lamb which has gone up by Dh3 to Dh22.90 per kilo.
An Indian woman who has lived in the UAE for 39 years said supermarkets usually increase prices during Ramadan.
"They take advantage of the fact that people buy more during Ramadan," she said.
Hassan, a Palestinian father of four, said prices of vegetables usually go up during Ramadan. "I usually buy a six kilo box of tomatoes for Dh18, but now during Ramadan I have to pay Dh 25," he said.
Meanwhile, the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has temporarily banned the export of fish from the northern emirate.
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