Libyans in Tripoli Complain of Bread Price Hikes and Manipulation of its Weight
(AWP) - A Syrian resident of the Libyan capital of Tripoli says that he now needs to earn no less than 10 Libyan dinars a day just to be able to afford his daily needs of bread following its recurrent price hikes over the past few months.
Mustafa Ibrahim said, “You have to earn 10 dinars a day to buy bread, in addition to other basic needs whose prices have also increased, such as sugar and oil.”
Contrary to the Libyan Ministry of Economy’s fixed pricing of one dinar for four 100-gram loaves, bread prices in Tripoli have now reached one diner for three lighter loaves.
Omar Ismail, a bakery owner in Tripoli, attributes the soaring prices to an increase in the costs of flour and yeast.
He said, “The cost [of flour and yeast] has become high for us, forcing us to raise the price of bread. We have to pay the shop’s rent, workers’ wages, and the price of all other supplies related to this industry.”
Libyan media quoted the director of trade administration in the Ministry of Economy as saying that the market is witnessing manipulation of the weight of bread loaves in many bakeries, sometimes reaching as low as 50 grams per loaf.
Libyan authorities lifted subsidies on wheat flour in mid-2015, prompting continuous increases in the price of bread since then.
The North African country imports 90% of its soft wheat, while local production has declined to low levels due to security instability over the past two years.