Tunisia: The party was spoiled by a shortage of sugar

Published 2024년 4월 1일

Tridge summary

Tunisia is grappling with a severe sugar shortage that is affecting local businesses, particularly pastry shops that depend on sugar. The country's economic challenges, characterized by a high cost of living and an inflation rate of 8 to 10% over the past two years, have diminished Tunisians' purchasing power, leading to reduced consumption of sweets. With a third of its population living below the poverty line and food prices soaring, the government's focus on debt repayment has worsened shortages of essential items like sugar, semolina, flour, cooking oil, and milk. Although authorities have pledged to address the sugar shortage by resuming refining and distribution, sugar remains rationed, highlighting the broader economic difficulties facing Tunisia.

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Original content

"All our work is based on sugar! If we have sugar, we can work, otherwise we can't do anything," Chokri Bouajila, employee of a downtown pastry shop and specialist in traditional cakes, told AFP. . In addition to the lack of sugar, the high cost of living, which affects the purchasing power of Tunisians, has pushed this trade to reduce the quantities produced. “Most customers buy 200 grams or 500 grams of cakes. This was not the case in previous years,” regrets Mr. Bouajila. Tunisia, which has 12 million inhabitants, a third of whom are below the poverty line, has suffered high inflation for two years (8 to 10% on average per year) with food prices which have often tripled. Some people make a brave face against bad luck: “sugar is not good for your health!”, jokes Nayla, assuring that she has learned to do without it. In Tunisia, the authorities centralize purchases of subsidized basic foodstuffs but a lack of liquidity in public coffers regularly causes shortages of sugar, ...

Source: Lobservateur