As citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, we have grown accustomed to the unpredictability that surrounds the prices of goods in our local supermarkets. Each week or month, we embark on our grocery shopping missions with a sense of apprehension, never knowing what new price hikes await us.

It’s a dilemma that raises a critical question: Is it time for the Government to step in and address the alarming disparity in supermarket prices that leaves our wallets feeling raped and increasingly lighter? Price gouging in Trinidad’s supermarkets (I haven’t been to Tobago’s supermarkets lately) is significant and touches the core of our daily lives. The dramatic fluctuations in prices, coupled with stagnant salaries, place an unbearable burden on the average citizen.

As the nation eagerly anticipated the unveiling of the 2023 budget, many of us were anxiously awaiting news of what measures, if any, would be taken to rectify this growing problem.

In recent times, the disparity in prices for basic commodities has reached exorbitant levels. Items that were once affordable are now a luxury for some, a situation that should not be allowed to persist. It is particularly disheartening to witness the disconnect between the soaring prices and the economic realities faced by the majority of citizens.

The most pressing issue in this ongoing crisis is the need for a level of Government intervention that will bring balance to the scales. While we understand the principles of supply and demand, the rapid and seemingly arbitrary price fluctuations are causing undue hardship.

Our salaries, on the other hand, remain largely stagnant, further deepening the chasm between our earnings and the cost of living.

There is a pressing need for price regulatory mandates that will help safeguard consumers from the unscrupulous practices of some supermarkets. These mandates should aim to ensure that basic necessities remain within reach for all, regardless of their income levels.

The recent gallivanting of supermarkets in setting their prices has, at times, bordered on outrageous. It is imperative that the Government take action to protect the interests of its citizens and ensure that the essential goods we need for our daily lives are priced fairly and transparently.

This issue of price gouging in Trinidad’s supermarkets is one that demands immediate attention. The current situation, with its wild price disparities and stagnant salaries, is unsustainable. It is high time for the scales to be balanced and for price regulatory mandates to be put in place to ‘ease we up’ from this unrelenting financial burden. Our collective livelihoods depend on it.

Scarlet Benois-Selman
Woodbrook