And while fuel prices can be stabilized - not so for bread prices. As we told you the price of flour finally went up - as has all the other inputs that go into making a load of bread.
So we asked Minister Perez, a man whose family owns the Casa Pan Dulce bakery chain, about the cabinet controlled price of 16 oz bread.
Today he told us that, quote: "bakers are not the red cross." And claimed that 13 years is too long to have been forced to maintain a $1.50 price tag for a 16 Ounce loaf.
It was a back and forth that went through the price of every ingredient used in bread making, not to mention the plastic bag that stores the loaf and left Perez, still, a businessman at heart, defending the mom and pop bakers who can't catch a break.
Jules Vasquez
"We saw the price of flour went up earlier this week and we know that you own a large baking enterprise and we know that your enterprise is one of the ones who been pushing the price. It's you all who invented this 17oz loaf, but let me ask, now that the price of flour has officially gone up by 10%, how will this force the government's hand in adjusting the control price of bread?"
Hon. Andre Perez
"First of all, you did mention about my family enterprise involved in the baking industry, but to make it clear that my company for the past 5 years has not been producing 16oz loaf bread. Why? it's because prudence will dictate in a business that if you're selling 16oz it's not profitable. But to justify that price in bread increase is long overdue - 13 years, Jules. From 2008 the price hasn't gone up. It has been at $1.50."
Jules Vasquez
"You are talking like a business man, not a social-minded politician, sir. Out here, people don't want to hear about 13 years. People are taking crucial lick out here - like people are punishing."
Hon. Andre Perez
"Listen, I don't make my government ran away from that and responsibilities which is not our fault, but this is a global situation right now and I will tell you something, let our Belizean people know, a loaf of bread is still the cheapest in the entire region. I'm talking about Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. We have done our homework. So let our Belizean people know, you're still buying the cheapest bread in the entire region."
