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Bread prices to rise on Monday

The price of bread will rise as from Monday by seven euro cents to 54c for the ‘large’ Maltese loaf and by four euro cents to 34c for the ‘small’ loaf, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech announced this afternoon. The price of flour on Monday will also increase by €3.8 per sack. The increases, he said, were a consequence of the steep increase in the international prices of oil and wheat.

Mr Fenech also told a press conference that a government subsidy on the price of Maltese bread will be lifted from January 1. The decision was taken in agreement with the Bakers’ Cooperative.

Mr Fenech said the government will be giving a grant of €5,000 each to up to 30 bakers to help them convert their oven to use gas instead of fuel oil since that will reduce their costs.

(See also story in The Times, below)

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Comments

Joseph Galea (on 17/5/08)
One of these days, and hopefully soon, we shall get rid of the 'give me' syndrome. It seems that in Malta everyone is looking for a hand out.
Why should the Government give 30 bakers 5000 Euros each to convert their ovens to gas? This cost should be borne by the bakers since in the end it will benefit them.
I have no problem with the Government making a low interest loan, or even a no interest loan to them, but a freebie?
One day we are going to grow up to the same extent as the rest of the world and stop depending on the Government for subsidies.
Subsidies have to come from somewhere and since the Government has no income, they will have to come from increased taxes.
Derek Webb (on 17/5/08)
The World is being held to ransom by the oil barons. Nothing new there you might say.
We should be asking ourselves why are our world leaders allowing this to happen. The price increases in fuel effect every man woman and child in the world. I doubt the ordinary mans working wage will rise. Lets face it the working man needs to be kept in his place and these increases only serve so we must serve
LOUIS BORG (on 17/5/08)
YOU GOT MONEY TO SMOKE CANCER CAUSING TOBACCO AND PLAY SUPER 5 SO GOT MONEY FOR BREAD
Matthew Grima (on 16/5/08)
The usual Maltese closed mindedness. I agree with C.Grech, Malta is not the world. A small country like Malta depends on other countries in terms of raw materials because we have NONE! Now how can Malta remain "cheap" if the cost of living due to raw materials of other countries has also risen! Here in the UK (at least the part I live in) good quality bread can be bought no less that approx. €1.25! I am sure Malta is way cheaper than that!!
james vella (on 16/5/08)
Dear C Grech - apologies for criticising the government.

I did not criticise the government for the rise in bread prices, but for all the bad news which seems to be appearing just after the election - including plenty of industrial disputes, suddenly explosive cost of living (bread, fuel etc), ST situation.... to mention just a few.

Abroad things happen gradually whether there is an election or not. Here the government succeeds to hide all bad news until election is over. This is manipulation
Albert Gauci Cunningham (on 16/5/08)
Effie Effie........it seems some people live in a world of their own.....don't you follow the news?? Or are you so into discrediting anything that Gonzi does that you'd rather fool yourself into believing what you want to believe. Let me state that I don't like paying more but I also believe that the state is there to provide better jobs and attract high value investment which pays ( Smart City, Pharmaceuticals, Betting........) only in that way would the individual be able to fight the rise in the cost of living. One thing the middle class ( which the MLP says it wants to be close to) does not do is sit down on their sofas listening to endless diatribes from Manwel Cushcieri preaching about how Bad old Gonzi "dahak Bik" or suck some social benefit "ilegally" while the rest work thair backsides out!!!!!!!!!!! Gonzi should seriously consider implementing the income tax promise if possible, it would give a boost to the negative aura price rises cause!! The PN govt should do as it had done, with a bigger emphasis on cutting destructive red tape to help business and investment flourish!! I repeat INVESTMENT is the ONLY key to fight price rises!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Daley (on 16/5/08)
c grech, why don't you tell us what the British earn as well. c. grech, why don't you tell us that even in UK, no one gives a damn about what is happening around in the world and people are still blaming the Govt. as is happening in Germany, Spain, France and Italy.
Do you think that these people are not aware of what is going on? Why should the Maltese behave differently.
Aqlalna z-zieda man, ghax l-ekonomija soda!
Joseph E Briffa (on 16/5/08)
Why is it that when prices go up the government of the day gets the blame, and when prices go down the government never gets any thanks? . These increases are beyond the local government's control. We all the know about the price hikes of cereals and oil; the hefty increases in these commodities are bound to be reflected in the price of pasta, bread etc and of most commodities, as the cost of transport and energy is affected by the price of fuel, which in turn depends on the price of crude oil. This was bound to happen and I am afraid we are only seeing the beginning of these trends. Some are predicting the price of crude to go up to $150 a barrelv by mid year and to $200 by end year. Who would have imagined these prices a year ago? I remember before the Yom Kippur war in 1973, the price of petrol in Malta was just 5 old cents (some 12 euro cents) a litre, it jumped to 20 cents ( 46 euro cents) overnight. The next day the roads were almost deserted, you could count the number of cars on the road and it took you 7 minutes to drive from Sliema to Valetta!
C. Grech (on 16/5/08)
What an insulated life some people seem to have! For some people writing comments here, it seems that Malta is the world. Do they only read the local announcements and electoral promises? Maybe they should try to see what is happening in the world around them for once. Here in the UK, inflation jumped from 2.3% to 3% in 1 month due to the increasing cost of fuel prices and rising cost of food. Most countries globally are experiencing these same increases. Why should Malta be any different? And more importantly, why is the government to blame?
Gavin Attard (on 16/5/08)
Anyone who blames the goverment on this (regardless of what party is in power) clearly has no idea what a goverment can and can't do.

The dollar is falling in value. There is no idea globally on how much oil is left (estiamtes are between 1 trillion barrells and 3 trillion barrells) which could mean we are in serious trouble in a few years or a few decades. Either way it is running out.
Everything that we use, depend on, and own is brought to us because of oil (the energy it brings us and the byproducts that are so usefull, and its ultimate transporation to the consumer). Add to the this the ignorance that is Bio-fuel, (farmers growing crops for bio-fuel rather than wheat, diminshes the world supply, therby increasing prices as demand is high, and with a growing global population...you get my drift ), and you have your explenation as to why the price of wheat and flour is going up worldwide.

The only thing the goverment can do is subsidise the increase. However it gets its money from loans, which ultimatly the tax payer pays back (at interest), meaning the loaf actually costs us more!

Wake up to the reality. Inform yourselves, before embarking on blame games that are of absolutly no consequence!
Charles Busuttil Dougall (on 16/5/08)
Now that the price of the Maltese loaf is going up and it will surely do so again come next January, is it not high time that we start getting the proper weight of bread for the money we pay. I understand that bakers weigh the loaf before it goes into the oven, when it is still full of water. It should be weighed after it is baked when all the water is evaporated. In times gone by we used to buy a hobza and get an extra piece of bread (a gonta as it was called) to make up the proper weight. And bread was not so expensive then. For the same reason in the UK they have the baker's dozen, which as everyone knows, is 13.reason, to make
vella Jame (on 16/5/08)
I was about to say, that I honestly don't understand how people continue to vote PN - when I remembered that the majority of electorate actually did not vote for PN but voted for other parties.

What is worrying is not only that bread is being raised in price - but it is the fact that all bad news seem to have been postponed for after teh election - starting from problems in ST, cost of living etc....

This is not a democracy. This is manipulated "quasi" demacracy.. where people are given only parts of information to elect a manipulative government.
effie carbonaro (on 16/5/08)
what a shame.what a shame now after the election everthing is rising,is this what the times was canvasing all the election time,this gerrymandering,this shame.why did it take so long for the case the goverment had against the bakers.why everthing is rising after the election.is this the why the pn is going to trreat the maltese in the next 5 years/then god help us all
David Stephen Ganado (on 16/5/08)
Sure Mr Cutajar, we also expect the government to give us cheaper fuel and free holidays abroad!! Get a life and see what is going on in the world. Fuel prices are rising and the cost of food is rising all over the place.
Malta is nothing different. We all need to just work harder and become more productive, then we will earn more money and be able to afford the rising costs. What government should do is control wastage especially where this concerns public employees not giving their full days work and expecting to be paid just the same!
Why do you have to go crying to the government, as soon as times get tough? If you believe that any other administration would not have let the price of bread go up, keep dreaming!!!
John Schembri (on 16/5/08)
I do not know who are the "we" Mr. J . Cutajar is representing , but what I and perhaps many others expect is that a loaf of bread should be sold by weight like in the rest of Europe. I don't like subsidies , after all brown bread , and fancy bread are not subsidised.Let us help the ones who really need help but stopping all subsidies and encouraging energy saving is the right way to go.
J.Cutajar (on 16/5/08)
We expect that the Goverment gives us increase in our salary or start implementing the tax cuts. Otherwise it is the more of the same, hunting for votes before elections. We deserves a better administrators for this country.

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