Zimbabwe has witnessed a spate of unprecedented price increases for most goods and services in the past week, many of which had been raised in anticipation of a devaluation that did not materialise, Harare’s Herald Online reported on Tuesday.
A price survey conducted by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe just before the monetary policy pronouncement last Wednesday, and another just after, showed the cost of foodstuffs, alcohol, clothes, rent and furniture, among others, had risen by up to 400% in less than one week.
The survey was conducted in most chain stores and other wholesale and retail outlets.
For instance, the price of a two-litre bottle of cooking oil went up by 118% to Z$17 000 from Z$7 782, tomatoes shot up by 205% to Z$4 400 per kilogram from Z$1 440,97 while a 10kg bag of roller meal rose by 48% to Z$2 500 from Z$1 689.
A standard size full chicken went up by 75% to Z$8 300 from Z$4 755,59 only a few days ago.
On the clothing front, the highest climber was men’s neck ties, which shot up by 400% to Z$30 000. — Sapa