In January, prices for other fuels, gasoline and diesel, rose nearly 30 cents a gallon.
However, to start the month with a general subsidy that priced the 10 lb gas bottle at $4.61, the 20 lb bottle at $8.98, the 25 lb bottle at 11.13 and the 35 lb bottle at $15.50 is a breather for the population.
According to the Directorate-General for Energy, Hydrocarbons and Mines (Dgehm), which regulates liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices, there is a section of the population that will benefit, although the price for the majority of consumers will be a subsidy of 8, 04 and pays only $3.09 to acquire a 25 lb cylinder, which is the most demanded by the populace.
By law, the public assistance applicable to this product will remain in effect until February 28th. Although a single product, the measure will no doubt have an impact on the population, who, given the government’s successes in combating it, now see the economy as their main concern, having pushed security issues and gang violence to the fore.
For some Salvadorans, however, the situation remains critical as about 14 percent of households earn an income below the cost of the basic food basket (cba), according to a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The lender said the nation’s poorest sectors spend between 45 and 50 percent of their income on buying their groceries, and the gas aid is helping ensure their situation isn’t worsened.
The IDB analysis confirmed the population’s concerns about the high cost of living, due among other things to rising inflation and rising unemployment, which are making the situation of broad sections of the population more precarious.
Official data indicates that in 2023, Salvadorans achieved the highest price for the basic basket in history, $240.37 urban and $181.54 rural, which is even more concerning when you realize that the minimum wage is between $365 and $243 $.46 fluctuates per month.
ode/lb