A. M. The Defensoría del Consumidor (CD) has intensified investigations on the prices of essential products of the basic food basket, requesting key information from the main supermarket chains operating in El Salvador, as part of its efforts to prevent speculation and unjustified price increases.
The CD requested details on inventories, imports, domestic purchases, sales, and consumer prices of products such as coffee, fluid and powdered milk, beverages, oils, corn flour, chicken meat, pre-cooked rice, beans, and tomatoes.
This first phase of investigation reinforces the deployment of inspections and price monitoring that the Defensoría del Consumidor regularly carries out at points of sale, with the objective of detecting practices that threaten the economy of salvadoran households, especially in the context of the recent 12% increase in the minimum wage.
The Government of President Nayib Bukele, which has reiterated its commitment to consumer protection, is promoting this action to ensure that salary benefits are not offset by unjustified increases in essential products. The CD will continue with the verifications as long as necessary to safeguard the purchasing power of the population.
The institution recalled that, according to the Consumer Protection Law (LPC), unjustified price increases and the refusal to provide required information or the incomplete submission of information may result in fines of up to 500 minimum wages. The CD emphasized that these sanctions seek to ensure transparency in the supply chain.
He also warned that, if undue practices are proven, the Government will not hesitate to act firmly. Irregularities detected may be referred to the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) to initiate criminal proceedings, as part of a comprehensive approach to protect salvadoran consumers.
