The Federation of Trade Unions addressed the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan in connection with the rise in prices for essential foodstuffs.
The organization recalled that the prices and tariffs in Kyrgyzstan as a whole increased by 14.7 percent last year. At the same time, food and non-alcoholic beverages rose in price by 15.8 percent, non-food products — by 12.7 percent and tariffs for services provided to the population — by 9.1 percent.
«Due to the increase in the cost of food, many citizens of the republic are unable to buy meat, dairy products, vegetable oil, sugar. Accordingly, the lack of vital products negatively affects the health of the Kyrgyzstanis,» the Federation of Trade Unions notes.
The subsistence minimum for 2022 on average per capita amounted to 7,178 soms, for the working-age population — 8,025 soms. At the same time, expenditures on food products make up 65 percent, or 5,216 soms in the structure of the subsistence minimum.
But today it is impossible to buy basic necessities for a month with this amount.
According to the National Statistical Committee, 2,244 million people lived below the poverty line in the country in 2021, which is 33.3 percent of the total population. As more families find themselves in extreme poverty, the children in these families are at much greater risk of becoming victims of child labour, child marriage and human trafficking.
«Further growth in prices will inevitably lead to negative social and economic consequences for the citizens of the republic and the growth of protest moods among the population. Therefore, in order to maintain stability in society and protect working citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Federation of Trade Unions, on behalf of the workers, asks to pay special attention to the current situation with prices for essential goods,» the appeal says.
