By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRESS secretary Clint Watson says he wants Bahamians to question retailers and wholesalers on how certain relief measures implemented by the government to lower food costs have been passed on to consumers to lessen the impact of rising inflation.

Yesterday, Mr Watson was asked about the Davis administration’s plan to help Bahamians cope with the high cost of living given warnings from experts to brace for higher inflation rates.

Super Value owner Rupert Roberts recently told The Tribune that the prices of items such as rice, cooking oils, tomato products and evaporated milk will see an increase in the coming weeks.

Elevated costs are expected up until next March, he added.

However, Mr Watson recalled that certain measures like duty reductions on several food items had already been put in place to help lessen the blow for Bahamians and said it is now up to locals to hold retailers accountable.

He said: “When the government announced that there are measures that have been put in place to actually address reducing the burden on the backs of Bahamians and we say, ‘okay, well, here’s what’s happening and at the ports,’ we’ve brought some relief there so that these things can be passed on to the consumers.

“Now we know there are certain food stores who did bring reduction. We’ve heard about these and we’ve seen those and I believe rightfully, that’s the kind of question and pressures that (should) be put on retail operators and owners.

“The government said that they put this relief in place so that Bahamians can feel the relief. That’s a good question for them to answer,” he added.

“Certainly we can’t answer that. They ought to be able to tell you that ‘yes, we’ve reduced eggs or we have reduced milk.’

“That is the kind of questions we want to see people put to these wholesalers and retailers so that they can be accountable to their consumers who are spending money with them because the relief is being put there by the government.

“Now they have a responsibility to pass that relief on and accepting somebody saying that they’re going to put prices up and not ask them where’s the relief? I think it’s missing a big story and a big disservice to the Bahamian people and I would admonish people to ask these wholesalers to justify where they’re putting the relief.”

Surging gas prices and high food costs – largely a direct result of inflation and the ongoing Russian- Ukrainian war - have been among the list of grievances expressed by Bahamians in recent months.

In his budget communication in May, Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis announced a series of relief measures aimed to assist Bahamians struggling with the inflationary high cost of living.

The proposed measures include increased social assistance, targeted minimum wage increases for workers in the public sector, duty reductions on certain food items among other things.

He later revealed that the government was considering reducing fuel taxes for gas retailers with a view to bringing relief to both retailers and consumers.

When questioned on the matter earlier this month, he told reporters that a decision on the issue will be made soon, adding “we’re working on it now”.