Red Tape Hot Box on Sugar rush
Things have changed quite a bit during the last 15 years and our stores do not differ significantly from those in Western Europe. But being a very sentimental nation, it seems that many Poles miss the good old days and are now trying to relive the early 1980s.
I'm talking about 'sugar madness' (or should I write 'mad sugar disease'?). The price of sugar is expected to rise after our accession to the EU and this news has caused tens of thousands of Poles to rush to stores and buy up all supplies of that particular product. After some customers were buying as much as 50kg of it, many supermarkets introduced limits allowing no more than 10kg per person. Some stores now sell as much sugar in one week as they usually do in one month.
Indeed, it is true that the price of sugar will increase. In fact, of all products that are expected to cost more, the price of sugar will increase the most, and it will not be a gradual change. The reason for this is that it is the only food product whose price is regulated in the EU. Sugar factories sell it at guaranteed prices set by the Union - in Poland it will probably be somewhere around zł.3 per kg, which means that we will then buy it for something between zł.3.5 to zł.4. That's quite an increase considering the fact that three weeks ago 1kg cost about zł.1.7. The fear of higher prices has caused many people to buy up the 'sweet thing.' But an increase in demand means that prices go up as well, so now we have to pay around zł.2.5 per kg. A week or two like this and we might come close to the expected EU price. A classic example of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Now, considering that an average family probably consumes 1kg per month, and assuming that they paid zł.2 per kg, how much will they save per year? At best around zł.20. One must wonder whether it's economic calculations or old habits from the times of the People's Republic that have led to thousands standing in queues and stockpiling sugar.
I'm talking about 'sugar madness' (or should I write 'mad sugar disease'?). The price of sugar is expected to rise after our accession to the EU and this news has caused tens of thousands of Poles to rush to stores and buy up all supplies of that particular product. After some customers were buying as much as 50kg of it, many supermarkets introduced limits allowing no more than 10kg per person. Some stores now sell as much sugar in one week as they usually do in one month.
Indeed, it is true that the price of sugar will increase. In fact, of all products that are expected to cost more, the price of sugar will increase the most, and it will not be a gradual change. The reason for this is that it is the only food product whose price is regulated in the EU. Sugar factories sell it at guaranteed prices set by the Union - in Poland it will probably be somewhere around zł.3 per kg, which means that we will then buy it for something between zł.3.5 to zł.4. That's quite an increase considering the fact that three weeks ago 1kg cost about zł.1.7. The fear of higher prices has caused many people to buy up the 'sweet thing.' But an increase in demand means that prices go up as well, so now we have to pay around zł.2.5 per kg. A week or two like this and we might come close to the expected EU price. A classic example of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Now, considering that an average family probably consumes 1kg per month, and assuming that they paid zł.2 per kg, how much will they save per year? At best around zł.20. One must wonder whether it's economic calculations or old habits from the times of the People's Republic that have led to thousands standing in queues and stockpiling sugar.
