Ramadan drives up consumption in Tunisia

05/09/2008

With the start of Ramadan coinciding once again with the new academic year, Tunisian budgets are stretched to the limit. The Tunisian government and consumer advocacy groups are encouraging families to keep spending in check during the holiday season.

By Mona Yahia for Magharebia in Tunis – 05/09/08

[Mona Yahia] Tunisians are straining their budgets as they give in to "Ramadan lusts" such as meats, vegetables and sweets.

With the advent of Ramadan, markets and stores in Tunisia are witnessing a large-scale boom, with the rise in consumption rates of all foodstuffs. Ramadan this year coincides with the back-to-school season on September 15th, which also adds to families' expenses.

Despite advice from the Ministry of Trade and the Consumer Defence Organisation (ODC) to keep consumption in line with family budgets, Tunisians continue to spend at elevated rates. Most Tunisians seem to handle their budgets according to what they have described as "Ramadan lusts".

Early in the morning, markets selling vegetables, grain and food supplies are already bustling with consumers. Vendors, in turn, offer competing displays to tempt fasting citizens.

"Ramadan is indisputably the month of desire," said Khadija, 45, in the central market in Tunis. "Though we realise that excessive purchases are a burden on a family, ultimately we give in to our desires; after all, it is only one month."

Mustapha Koki, 40, told Magharebia, "Actually, I try as much as I can to economise, but the family's needs, in terms of confectioneries, food and Ramadan foodstuffs, send the bills sky-high."

Supermarkets are not much better. The markets for meat, vegetable and grain are densely crowded to the point that one can hardly set foot inside. Cashiers struggle, buried under long queues, where consumers stand for hours to pay for their purchases.

Store owners claim they are keen on making all goods available at affordable prices, since these retailers offer discounts all year long.

The Al Maghaza Al Ama Complex in Tunis marked a 15% rise in transactions during the week preceding Ramadan, General Manager Moustafa Belhaj Yahia said during a visit organised by the trade ministry.

Younes Amri, registrar of Geant grocery store, said that consumption rose throughout the ten days leading up to the holy month, peaking during the last two days. However, he added, an in-house study actually showed lower prices on some goods in 2008 over the previous year.

The Consumer Defence Organisation's Ramadan slogan is "National awareness and wary consumption". In a flier distributed to consumers, the ODC advised shippers to consume subsidised food, determine the actual needs of the family, assign shopping to a specific member of the family, adopt a responsible attitude towards advertising and keep unused bread in the freezer and prepared food in the refrigerator.

The ODC also advised merchants that conditional selling is forbidden by law and asked them to declare their prices, in order to ensure transparency in transactions and offer consumers the right to choose.