This is the most expensive Christmas ever!

Despite the stability of prices that the Government is proclaiming with foodstuffs, buyers and sellers express their dissatisfaction with the cost of these products, who also understand that they are not fair prices, as the authorities point out.

On the eve of Christmas, buyers and resellers of goods who yesterday visited the New Market of Villas Agrícolas, Villa Consuelo, and Cristo Rey assured that this is the most expensive Christmas ever! Since the prices of the products, where some still enjoy stability, the cost of the Christmas Eve dinner this year is very high.

“It is already a tradition all over the world to celebrate Christmas. For that you have to get money from anywhere, but when you start to calculate, a dinner on this day is already getting very far. The salary is not enough for the purchases of the fortnights; imagine for a day like today. We are doing what we can to carry on the tradition”, said Rosa Lara, stocking up yesterday at the Mercado Nuevo.

Meanwhile, Miguel De la Rosa, a potato vendor, said that sales had fallen quite a bit due to the price of the products.

Others, such as Fermín Almonte, said that the Government has allowed the supermarkets to monopolize agricultural products, which has caused what reaches the markets are not of good quality and more expensive.

“That a banana is costing up to RD$30.00 in the same market and selling in the fields at RD$26,000 a thousand, I don’t think those are fair prices. The supermarkets buy the whole farm,” he said.

More increases
In yesterday’s tour of the Santo Domingo markets, new increases in some products demanded for tonight’s dinner were verified.

Potatoes sold at RD$40.00 per pound yesterday cost between RD$50.00 and RD$60.00. Bananas from Barahona were sold at RD$25.00, and those from Mao at RD$35.00.

Tomatoes yesterday cost RD$40.00 per pound; carrots RD$40.00, and beets were offered at RD$35.00, raw.

Given these price increases, business leaders consulted said that there are sellers who, because it is Christmas Day, take advantage of the demand for goods and increase the cost of these.

Fruits
Few seen were the traditional stalls selling apples, grapes, raisins, and sweets.

People also complained about the price of these products.

In the stalls that were asked, apples are between RD$55.00 and RD$60.00 per unit, while grapes per pound are sold at RD$180.00 in some booths. In others, the price of the traditional fruit reaches RD$200.00.