Ministry of Trade of Ethiopia disclosed it will increase Addis Ababa’s wheat flour and sugar supply as the demand for food items keeps on rising.

The capital city currently receives every month 102,000 quintals of wheat flour and 128,532 quintals of sugar. The Ministry intends to supply additional 10,000 quintals of wheat flour and 6,500 quintals of sugar to this monthly supply.

According to Capital, the Ministry made the decision following lengthy discussion it had with Addis Ababa Trade Bureau.

It is consumer associations that are expected to distribute sugar to households, hotels, enterprises and institutions for a retail price of 18.40 Birr per Kilogram. The retailers will receive a kilogram of sugar for 17.10 Birr.

Commenting on a related matter Addis Ababa Trade Bureau’s Legal Officer, Abreham Mio, said the Bureau was working hard to take actions against traders stocking sugar.

“As everybody knows, sugar is one of the products subsidized by the government and retailers are obliged to distribute it. We have received comments that sugar is not available, with people having to travel far to get it,” Abraham furthered.

According to the Legal Officer wheat flour is distributed to 1334 bakeries and 132 unions which still falls short of the demand and meets only 61.2 percent. “Consumers cannot get bread during the late hours of the day,” Abreham added.

“It is obvious that if we increase the supply, we can increase the production capacity of the bakeries and to achieve this we are working with all parties concerned. Since wheat is subsidized, and imported, it takes time to convince the government to increase the quota” the officer explained.

Source: Capital