Consumers’ group accuses businesses, government over rising food prices

The leading consumer advocacy organisation has accused both the business community and government of failing to protect citizens from surging food costs, warning that people are being buried under explanations while the cost of living spirals out of control.

The Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network (BCEN) complained that citizens are paying more for almost everything – food, household items, transport, utilities, and services.

BCEN’s Executive Chairman, Maureen Holder, contends that the pattern is clear: “Every cost increase is passed on, every time.”

Holder told Barbados TODAY: “Each increase is accompanied by a justification: global inflation, insurance premiums, shipping disruptions, wars and geopolitical tensions, even strained relations between the United States and Venezuela. Some businesses have even added a new scapegoat, the minimum wage increase.”

She argued that while it is true that Barbados is exposed to global shocks and the country imports most of what residents eat, vulnerability does not excuse inaction.

“What consumers are experiencing is not just imported inflation, but a failure of local policy and market governance. Food inflation figures understate the real pain. Families – those who have the means – are spending a substantial portion of their income on groceries, often cutting back on quality and nutrition. Transparency tools like price-checking apps do nothing to change this reality.”

Holder continued: “In a small, concentrated market, consumers cannot meaningfully discipline prices through choice. While it is accepted that Barbados’ dependence on imports makes us vulnerable, vulnerability does not justify the absence of restraint. What consumers are experiencing is not just imported inflation, but a pass-through economy.” 

“From freight and port charges to wholesale and retail margins, costs move seamlessly through the system until they land squarely on the consumer. There is little evidence of absorption, efficiency gains, or temporary margin compression — only ‘put on notice’ explanations and transfer.”

The consumer advocate contended that any attempt to link higher prices to the minimum wage increase is “especially” unfair.  

She insisted that the minimum wage increase was not reckless or premature; it was overdue, suggesting that low-paid workers had been increasingly falling behind the cost of living for years.  

“To blame modest wage adjustments for increasing prices, is to shift responsibility from pricing decisions onto those already struggling to survive,” she said. “This narrative is deeply unfair. The fact remains, the adjustment was overdue and came after years of rising costs that had already eroded workers’ purchasing power. Low-income earners did not create imported inflation, yet the minimum wage is being treated as if it were a bitter pill.”  

She went further in calling out corporate Barbados and the government regarding their stance on price increases.  

“The business community explains price increases but offers no proposals for restraint. Government informs the public but avoids impactful and deeply meaningful interventions. Price-check apps offer visibility but not affordability. In a small, concentrated import market, consumers cannot shop around when price movements are parallel and unavoidable. Oversight remains largely invisible and the result is predictable: the full burden of global shocks is pushed onto consumers.” 

At this point, Holder offered several possible solutions to the food price challenges.  

She said: “What Barbados needs is a food price shock strategy that includes time-bound tax relief on essential items, voluntary margin restraint during periods of crisis, and robust enforcement against unjustified price hikes. Global tensions and wage improvements must not be used as convenient excuses for inaction. The Barbados Consumer Empowerment Network is clear that what is currently happening is tantamount to policy failure, not inevitability.”

“We need a deliberate strategy for managing imported cost shocks, especially when freight rates rise or global tensions disrupt supply chains. From what can be discerned, there is no plan to cushion households. VAT remains in place and duties remain unchanged, while margins are defended and consumers pay the price.”  

BCEN is therefore calling for a shift from explanation to action: time-bound tax relief on essential imports, active scrutiny of price pass-through behaviour, and clear expectations that businesses share the burden during periods of economic stress.

The group reiterated that prices are rising everywhere in the country, so relief must follow.  

“Barbadians are not asking for miracles; they are asking for fairness, accountability and leadership on this issue,” Holder suggested.