In Tunisia, bread constitutes a vital part of the daily diet of families. Historically inexpensive, it permitted households to have their fill on a modest budget. However, this reality is changing radically.
In the past, you could always see bread for 190 millimes per unit in local bakeries, but today, it is more and more challenging to find bread at this price. You can only find bread for 500 millimes, or even a dinar or more for certain types of bread.
This increase has a significant effect on the purchasing power of Tunisians, particularly in a context where each meal is traditionally accompanied by bread.
Formerly, a large family could make do with five loaves of bread for a complete meal, which represented a total cost of around 1 dinar. Now, for the same quantity, families have to spend more than 3 dinars, which significantly increases daily expenses in the context of increasing inflation.
This escalation in bread prices weighs heavily on the budgets of Tunisian households.
The hidden cost of bags
In addition to the growth in the price of available bread, another problem arises: that of sachets.
Formerly provided free of charge by bakeries, plastic bags have been substituted by more environmentally friendly alternatives. While this initiative is laudable for its contribution to safeguarding the environment and public health, it is accompanied by an increase in costs for consumers.
The image in the article illustrates this situation: a bag sold for 300 millimes in a bakery, representing a significant supplementary cost for buyers who have forgotten their own bag.
Reactions and proposals
The sale of 300 millime sachets raises questions regarding the production costs and wholesale price of this biodegradable packaging, the details of which remain unknown to the general public.
This practice has a direct impact on the morale of Tunisians, particularly those struggling with financial difficulties, giving the impression that even basic needs become a source of profit at the expense of consumers.
Necessary interventions
Confronted with this situation, the Ministry of Commerce must intervene. It could either explain the justification for high bag prices or regulate this market by forcing bakeries to offer bags at more affordable prices, perhaps made of cardboard or other economical material.
Such a measure would assist ease the financial burden on Tunisians and restore some confidence in stakeholders in this vital sector.
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