EVERY WEEK from today until the end of the year, the SUN SHOPPER will be tracking food prices in the supermarkets.
With the Value Added Tax to be increased from 15 per cent to 17.5 per cent from December 1, the SUN SHOPPER did a price check on Friday to see how many items could be purchased from the basket of goods list using $100.
Focusing on the essentials on the list, the SUN SHOPPER bought 17 items out of the 26 items for $92.43. Purchases included rice, flour, macaroni, peas, evaporated milk, toilet tissue, chicken, lamb, soap, toothpaste and other toiletries.
Not all of the items that were bought are VAT-rated. The VAT-rated items included toothpaste, bath soap, sanitary napkins, toilet tissue, and antiperspirant. Next week, after the VAT is increased by 2.5 per cent, the SUN SHOPPER will again visit the supermarket to compare the prices. (LK)
