tapijo

It seems that not only Mauritius is being affected by rising prices of basic commodities. Consumer groups in Europe have gathered themselves on streets to protest against the ever rising prices of rice, wheat, flour to name a few. Even in Italy there has been a one day boycott on pasta. In Bangladesh, surprisingly, rice is being rationed.  People were queuing since early morning to buy five kilo of rice, their staple food. India has even stopped exporting rice preferring to cope with the local demand but this effort is being undermined by shortages in supply.  Food price crisis is going global. According to the BBC, researchers at the IRRI need to be thinking of a way to boost yield on ever decreasing acres of land under agriculture.

The recent rain pour did not do much to alleviate the household’s baskets. Most vegetables were affected by the flooding and if one is lucky to find some on display at the market, his wallet needs to be well stuffed. So for the time being better turn to canned food, hoping that brighter days are only some days away…  Too optimist or naive??

Very very hot and mosquitoes buzzing around… Got some breeze but still can not attenuate the heat. Wish that at least at night we could have some rains and a nice temperature to ease our warrior’s sleep. Yesterday only slept 3 hours. Tried to recap the loss during the day but the bed reminds me of sauna and all i could do is to take a nap on the ground. Damnit how can the Japanese sleep on the ground. It’s so hard!!!

Bzzzzzzzzz!

Slap!!

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Clap!!!!

Bzzzzzzzzz! Clap! Clap!

How i hate that aspect of summer! And they dare to disturb you even if you light on your mosquito coils. Even the classical spread of mentholated jelly at the back of the ears does not work.  So i had to wake up, switch on the lights and chase for the intruders with my “bouffi” eyes. Not a single one in sight! It’s already three in the morning! Yawn!!! Off the lights!

Re  Bonne nuit!

Filling stations have decided to limit their opening hours according to the time prescribed by the law. As from the 13th May, the Petrol Retail Association has decided not to work beyond normal working hours.
The main reasons behind this resolution are:
1. the profits on sales of petroleum products are so minimal (2.8%) that this should not encourage them to work late at night;
2. Additional expenses on running the station at night and electricity consumption;
3. Risk of being robbed.
The association saw in the use of credit card a deterrent to the robbing but here again there is the issue of commission fees charged by banks. The issue of stopping to sell household gas was also in the agenda. An appeal has been sent to the government to revise their margin.
Should the resolution be followed by all the 76 stations, the revised opening hours should be as follows: 7 am to 8 pm during the week, and 7am to twelve on sundays and holidays.

Price of bread, gaz, diary products are all on the rise following either strike or threats of closure by the protagonists. Now, desbro, a member of rogers group is following the pace, threatening the closing of its production department if the minister of trade does not agree to an increase in steel bar prices.

Are we so materialists that we are still bearing the ever higher increase in price index? When will the dragon be dormant?

Domestic gas in 12 kgs bobonnes will be no longer be available for sale in service gas station. This is due to the low profit margin made by the latter. A meeting de la derniere chance is due to take place today between the protagonists. The outcome will finally determine whether we (as end users) are henceforth going to buy the bobonnes at wholesalers or phone the gas company and have the bottles delivered to our doors.

Consumers are facing a shortage of domestic gas actually. Gas service stations are refusing to sell domestic gas because they are claiming that their margin on such items are small. Now i am hearing that the price of gas will reincrease… When?? Don’t know!!! When will the rising spiral cease??? Everything will be on the rise sooner or later. Now gas, soon it will be loaf, electricity, water. The only thing that will not change is salary… Should have sided by Berenger when he claimed salary rise lately..

Bus lanes, National Youth Achievement Award, increasing mediatisation of death of youngsters, cold weather, and late night work were among the news i heard and experienced this week. Experts from Singapore were here to propose a solution for decongestioning traffic. Prince Edward was here to reward participants for their involvement in the National Youth Achievement programs; 16 year old college girl found death in Henrietta after a bus stopped and its opened door hit her fatally; finally my boss yelled at me for not being efficient enough. That’s what bosses are supposed to do… Yelling at you when you are working at 200% output. That’s life… sadly!!

The spiral price rise continues to make more victims as time goes on. AS from next MOnday, the cost of sending a local mail will rise by Rs 3. The cost of registering mail and sending outward mail too will rise. The rise is justified by the increasing operational cost and value added services provided by the privatised post.

Fuel price per litre swells as from today to become mur40.60 while diesel falls to mur 30.20 per litre. Domestic gas in 12kgs packing rises to mur 315, as a result of APM meeting yesterday. Some colleagues of mine said they would henceforth use public transport. Is this rise a deterrent? The future will say.