The government has challenged the Opposition Leader to say what he intended to do about the cost of living. He was always saying he would take action but has never said what that action would be, it said.

What would he do when there was a price rise? Would he re-introduce a price freeze? Would he interfere with the market? Or would he be subsidising the private sector? He would have more credibility if he announced his initiatives, apart from a six-monthly report, which was a giant step backward compared to what was already being done, the government said.

It added that over the last weeks it continued strengthening its enforcement structures by calling for inspectors to survey the markets. A prices task force was also meeting regularly to analyse what was happening on the international and local markets and action was taken where necessary.

The government’s commitment to contain the cost of living was not made up of a six-monthly report, which was what the Opposition Leader was proposing. In addition the government considered the proposal for an authority on prices and a report every six months as nothing more than a gimmick which would evaporate into nothing.

On the contrary, the government had worked hard to soften the impact of international price rises and had itself intervened to subsidise the price of flour and make good for the higher cost of living through the increase announced in the budget.