AFC wants flour subsidised

Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 March 2022, 19:59 by Denis Chabrol

The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Tuesday called on the government to subsidise the price of wheat flour, just days National Milling Company announced a 15 percent hike in the staple’s price. 

The AFC says the treasury has sufficient money from the extra earnings due to the increase in world oil prices. “The state can easily afford to cover the cost of increased wheat prices by simply redirecting a small part of its increased oil revenues to keep the cost of flour affordable for those struggling in poverty,” that opposition coalition partner said. 

In the national budget, the Guyana government has pegged its calculations at US$74 per barrel of oil.

However, due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, the price is now more than US$100 per barrel.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has already announced that electricity and water bills will be subsidised by the government. The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is already on record as saying that the landed price of fuels for electricity generation is US$140 per barrel.