HAVANA, May 30 (Luis Viño Zimerman, UPECI) - The scarcity of rice, a
staple in the Cuban diet, has driven prices up in recent weeks, from 3.50 to 15
pesos a pound. At this price, it can be obtained from private parties; customary
suppliers such as the agricultural markets and stores in the "Doña
Julia" chain, which used to sell it at 3.50 a pound simply don't have any.
Sources at the government's Wholesale Commerce Company, which is in charge
of
rice distribution, said they don't know how long the scarcity will last.
The price of private transportation, a makeshift and clandestine system
whereby private citizens with cars supplement their income by picking up
passengers around town, is also going up. The going rate, 10 pesos for a ride
within Havana, say, has gone up by as much as 100 percent. Vehicle owners say
the scarcity and expense of fuel (0.65 dollar per liter for gas and 0.95 dollar
per liter for diesel) make the increases necessary. Nevertheless, demand for the
service remains high because public transportation is undergoing the worst
crisis in its history, according to some.
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