The Congress of the People, COPE, wants to see the price of brown bread decreased.
Farouk Cassim of COPE said brown bread should sell for 20% – 30% less than white bread. “After all, there is not VAT on brown bread and that should already reduce the price by 14%. Secondly, there is greater extraction of meal from the crushed wheat.
“Thirdly, there is much less milling and refining. Bakers should compensate for loss of margin on brown bread by adjusting the price of white bread.”
Government must also ensure that the price of maize meal and other bare necessities remain inflation proof. We cannot have another social upheaval on our hands, he said in a statement to the Courier.
“We also take note of the announcement by Stats SA, yesterday, that the Consumer Price Index had increased to 4% year-on-year in March this year. This has ended six months of consecutive decreases in the year-on-year rate.
“The last Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank, likewise, indicated that consumers could expect a rise in inflation.
“COPE urges government to consider the plight of the poor. After the outbreak of xenophobic attacks it is imperative that we act proactively and guarantee food security through a range of measures.”