El Salvador has implemented a series of measures to ensure that the basic food basket products have fair prices and to avoid speculation in the market. Among these actions, the Defensoría del Consumidor (DC) has initiated verifications in purchases made by 40 importers in African and South American countries, taking advantage of the elimination of tariffs for these products.
The head of the Defensoría del Consumidor, Ricardo Salazar, informed that the purchases include essential products such as rice and beans, coming from Ethiopia, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. “We are verifying the procedures so that the benefits are passed on to the population”, said Salazar, stressing the importance of these inspections to protect the economy of salvadorans.
Likewise, Ricardo Salazar, emphasized the different activities being carried out to improve the economy of salvadorans, noting that during the implementation of the “Plan Vacación Agosto 2024”, the CD conducted 498 inspections in supermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores and fairs, achieving a compliance with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Law of 84.9% being equivalent to 423 inspections and 15.1% (75) were detected in some type of findings of non-compliance, activating the administrative procedure before the Sanctioning Court.
In addition, the elimination of tariffs for 116 products of the expanded basic food basket. This measure is part of a broader effort to maintain price stability in essential foodstuffs. In addition, the implementation of AgroMercados in 38 points nationwide, as part of a strategy to offer fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. According to Salazar, this initiative is gaining popularity among the population, which increasingly prefers these markets to purchase quality products at low cost.
These actions are part of phase 1 of the Economic Plan, and the response from citizens has been positive, recognizing the favorable impact of these measures in their daily lives.