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Opinion | "The choice is in the hands of the consumer"? In the meantime we will continue to pay dearly Israel today

2022-01-26T12:52:04.731Z


The anger over the price increases is one of the justified ones, but they are received relatively quietly because most of us are preoccupied with daily survival - and this is the place of the state to ease the economic burden


Rising food prices and basic consumer goods are not unique to Israel.

The transportation crisis, the rise in the price of raw materials and the shortage of workers due to mass isolation have plagued the entire world - and consumer prices have risen accordingly.

In the past year, food prices in the United States rose by 6.3%, in EU countries by 4.3%, while in Israel food prices (excluding fruits and vegetables) rose by 3.5%, while fruit and vegetable prices in Israel fell by 2% last year.

So why is this still so annoying to Israelis?

Every announcement about the rise in price of this or that product produces a wave of headlines, while most Europeans are probably not even aware of how much the basic products they buy have become more expensive.

Some will say that in Israel not only are food prices rising - property taxes have already risen by two percent, the electricity tariff will also jump by five percent starting next month. Everything is true, except that in European countries the situation is even worse. Due to the natural gas crisis, electricity prices have jumped by tens of percent, and this is a very significant expense for Europeans who heat their homes throughout the winter months. And despite everything, in Europe the reports of a rise in the price of a particular product are unlikely to open the new editions and will not be discussed in the British Parliament. Are we Israelis just smarter consumers or do we like to grumble?

So it is, that the anger of the Israelis about the wave of price increases is one of the justified ones, because the prices here are much higher in the first place, even when it comes to the same products.

Take, for example, the beloved "Pringles" snack, which according to Diplomat's announcement will increase by 8% for food chains, which will have to decide how much the final price will cost the consumer, if at all.

In Israel, the average price is about NIS 8.90 for a package of 149 grams, while in London you can buy a package of 165 grams for NIS 7, in Amsterdam for NIS 7.8, and in Paris for NIS 7.5.

Prices of course vary from supplier to supplier and depend on exchange rates, and yet the gaps we have described here range from 13.5% to 27%, even before the price increase in Israel.

Any increase in prices in Israel irritates the Israeli consumer and rightly so, but it is received relatively quietly, since most of us are preoccupied with daily economic survival and there are always more pressing issues to deal with - from children in isolation or government guidelines changing every Monday and Thursday to de facto closure.

This is the place for the state to enter the picture and make it easier for the Israeli consumer, at least in part of the economic burden.

For example, in discounting products that are considered healthier, in the amount of taxation on sugary drinks, to reduce VAT on some consumer products. In the meantime we will continue to pay dearly, and the statement that "consumer choice" is becoming less relevant .

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2022-01-26

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