Data cited only takes prices to February
The food basket, defined by ASAE – Portugal’s food and economic safety agency – to calculate the movement of prices, has increased almost 29% since 2022 and until February this year to €96.44, it was announced today.
“In January 2022 (the basket) was at €74.90 and now (February) it is at €96.44,” Pedro Portugal Gaspar, ASAE’s inspector general, has told a press conference at the ministry of the economy and maritime affairs, in Lisbon. These figures represent an increase of 28.76%.
Says Lusa, the ASAE basket is made up of essential goods, namely fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice, olive oil, oil, eggs, sugar, milk, bread and flour.
Economy minister António Costa Silva has promised to be “inflexible” with all the irregular situations verified in this sector – suggesting ASAE is still hot on the heels of potential ‘speculation’.
According to data advanced at the press conference, ASAE has carried out, since the second half of 2022, more than 960 inspection operations and today it will start a new operation, throughout the country, with its 38 brigades already in the field.
On March 1, 38 brigades involving 80 inspectors from the Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) were on the ground inspecting the prices of foodstuffs in hypermarkets and supermarkets, in light of the 21.1% increase in the basic basket last year, more than double inflation – and the subject of more than a little speculation that ‘someone is benefiting’.
Source material: LUSA
