Africa-Press – Cape verde. According to the Special Consumption Index (ICE), released by the Association for Consumer Protection (Adeco), a person in São Vicente currently needs 20,337 escudos to live, that is, to pay for the main goods and services. . Just for food is 12,225 escudos.
The data were provided to the press yesterday by Marco Cruz, partner and former president of Adeco.
According to him, this new index seeks to measure the cost of acquiring essential goods and services for an adult citizen.
“The objective is to show the reality of consumption in Cape Verde and what is the cost of acquiring goods and services and allow the association to assess how prices have evolved in recent times”, he clarified.
Indicators
This index takes into account the main goods and services essential for human beings to live, such as food, water, electricity, butane gas, communication and housing.
“We know that there are people who consume much less than that, but just in terms of food, it is around 12,255 escudos. We are referring to a basic diet with local products and that, in a minimal way, a person should consume ”, he said.
However, he explained that the index does not take into account the costs of education, health, transport and other things that a person needs at home and which are also considered essential.
No extraordinary expenses
In other words, he clarified, this means that “it is an indicator that does not allow for extraordinary expenses with needs that may arise from time to time”. Therefore, he defended that it is an instrument that will show “the reality and what is the level of consumption that, at least, a person should have”.
This source also explains that this index shows that there is a mismatch between the cost of living and the national minimum wage.
“The gap in relation to the national minimum wage is large. And one of the things we wanted to show is that the national minimum wage no longer meets needs”, he maintained.
According to the same source, the Special Consumption Index calculated in São Vicente will provisionally serve as a national reference.
Also, as he clarifies, the index and its derivatives will be updated on a quarterly basis, and conditions can be created for it to be updated monthly.
Afterwards, an official report will be produced containing the price data of the sampled products, the calculated indices and the observations.
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