Business / Economy
Cost of living rises by 1,21 percent
02 Nov 2012 at 00:44hrs | Views
THE cost of a monthly expenditure basket for a low-income urban household of six rose by 1,21 percent to $572.18 last month from $565.34 in September. In a statement, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe said the food basket increased from $153,09 to $160,01 reflecting a 4,52 percent increase.
Soaps and detergents decreased by eight cents to $13,17.
Major movers of the basket were margarine which went up by 11c to $2,41, mealie-meal by $1,02 to $11,00 while meat rose by 60c to $5,10 a kilogramme.
Some commodities saw prices going down. These included onions which dropped by 8c from $1,10 to $1,02, tomatoes by 7c from $1,27 to $1,20, cabbage by 1c from 61c to 60c and laundry bars by 2c from $1,55 to $1,53.
The prices of the other basic commodities among them white sugar, tea leaves, fresh milk, cooking oil, bread, flour, rice, salt, bath soap and washing powder did not change.
The CCZ encouraged consumers to shop conscientiously and to buy certified products and where the products are not certified to exercise their right to information by carefully examining if the products they were buying were well labelled, packaged and provided with vital information such as manufacturing and expiry dates and ingredients used in the make-up of the products.
"Remember the mad season is upon us, so shop wisely," said the consumer watchdog.
Soaps and detergents decreased by eight cents to $13,17.
Major movers of the basket were margarine which went up by 11c to $2,41, mealie-meal by $1,02 to $11,00 while meat rose by 60c to $5,10 a kilogramme.
Some commodities saw prices going down. These included onions which dropped by 8c from $1,10 to $1,02, tomatoes by 7c from $1,27 to $1,20, cabbage by 1c from 61c to 60c and laundry bars by 2c from $1,55 to $1,53.
The prices of the other basic commodities among them white sugar, tea leaves, fresh milk, cooking oil, bread, flour, rice, salt, bath soap and washing powder did not change.
The CCZ encouraged consumers to shop conscientiously and to buy certified products and where the products are not certified to exercise their right to information by carefully examining if the products they were buying were well labelled, packaged and provided with vital information such as manufacturing and expiry dates and ingredients used in the make-up of the products.
"Remember the mad season is upon us, so shop wisely," said the consumer watchdog.
Source - TC
