economy

State offers sugar and sardines to poor

LA PRENSA

Food Priorities: The first product sold under the government's Compita brand name was rice. That was followed by lentils, wheat flour, cooking oil, beans, and elbow macaroni. 980941

Despite their rejection by the Asociación de Comerciantes de Víveres de Panamá (Acovipa), the number of government-financed Compita brand products continues to grow.

First it was rice, then lentils, and more recently flour and cooking oil. The oil goes on sale beginning today at the open markets administered by the Instituto de Mercadeo Agropecuario (IMA), said the director of the institute, Gonzalo Cambefort.

Government subsidized salt will hit the market soon, too, and the IMA is also negotiating for imports of porotos (a kind of bean), elbow macaroni, and various "nutritious" cream drinks like horchata.

But that's just the beginning. Within the next 30 days, the IMA will start selling refined white sugar and canned sardines in tomato sauce.

For the sugar, the IMA is considering quotes from both local and foreign providers. "If there is enough local sugar to meet our demands at a low price, we'll opt for the national product, if not, we'll bring it in from outside, because what we're looking for is the best price for the consumer," Cambefort said.

The IMA has not yet specified how much sugar it will buy or what it will cost the consumer. As for the criteria for buying, Cambefort mentioned the price.

The IMA is authorized to make purchases on the Bolsa Nacional de Productos, S.A.(Baisa) or from outside companies after getting at least three quotes. That was the case with its wheat flour purchase, a transaction involving 4,000 sacks of wheat worth $30,720.

Two shipping containers filled with 5,000 cases of canned sardines in tomato sauce, imported from Peru, will arrive in the next few days. One can of sardines will cost 35 cents.

The purchases are part of the Programa para la Solidaridad Alimentaria, which the government approved in Oct. 2007. The measure is intended to "guarantee the people's access to the most necessary food products."

Iván Ríos, however, the president of the Acovipa, questions the program, saying, "It does nothing to alleviate the rising cost of items in the Canasta Básica Familiar," or basic family food basket.

Ríos asserted that not all Panamanians go to the open markets and that allowing the government to sell imported products on which it paid no tariffs, "is unfair competition." Members of his group are waiting for a meeting with top officials of the government to discuss the issue.

The Organización Nacional Agropecuaria (Onagro), while acknowledging the need to help the poor, also questions the government program.