The head of the higher committee for the follow-up of bakeries, Ali Bouazza, said that bakery owners agreed to postpone their strike action, scheduled for next Friday, for further negotiations with the Ministry of Economy and the concerned authorities.
Bouazza said the Ministry of Economy did not consult the Bakers Syndicate on the new flour prices. "The pricing set by the Ministry of Economy on Wednesday indicates that the ministry does not know what is going on in the Libyan market," Bouazza says.
He explained that flour prices in some mills now reached 216 dinars, while the global cost of wheat is approximately 217 dinars.
On the other hand, the price of a quintal of flour in state mills is about 178 dinars with an increase of 12 dinars, meaning that the price of flour according to the previous price for bread ranged from 120 to 140.
"Bakery owners are not asking for the impossible, but they call for forming a committee and fixing prices."
It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Economy and Trade adopted new price controls for some primary commodities, including the price of bread flour, setting 190 dinars for a quintal.
