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In a survey undertaken by Gulf News, it was found that the average price of comestibles has risen by 36 per cent in the past year. The problem with averaging is it fails to reflect the top and bottom end of price increases. Whilst Gulf News chose the more commonly purchased food items, they may not include products which a family may have frequently purchased in the past, but do not do so now because of unreasonable price increases. But then that is an unquantifiable figure, unless a person-to-person survey is done, which is time-consuming and costly. So not only are prices averaged out, but also what is considered to be in the family food basket.
With so-called experts constantly reminding the public that the price index has increased by less than 10 per cent a year, it leaves consumers in a quandary as to what is being assessed by these experts. Certainly, for the average shopper on an average salary, it has become very noticeable that year-on-year they are paying much more for everything, whether it is comestibles, consumables or rent. For the medium and low paid worker, it is an unenviable position and one which cannot persist without some sort of action being taken by the individual, who is left with no alternative but to leave the country and return home, or emigrate to another less expensive country.
Another alternative is for the government to put a cap on prices, but this would be in contravention of its policy of a free-market economy - although that issue in itself is debatable. However, something must be done for all levels of society if people are to live equitably and comfortably alongside each other. The wheels of any economy are greased by people from all walks of society.
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