Increase salaries or lower prices?

Today, after Nicolás Maduro, President of Venezuela, announced a new salary increase, the sixteenth during four years of government, the ordinary Venezuelan does nothing but embrace God to face the titanic struggle that day after day, means to his family, with income that is very, very much lower than the price of the basic food basket.

The 58% increase for the minimum wage, which is extended to all salary tables in the public and private sectors, represents a minimum income of Bs. 1,307,646.00 for the average Venezuelan. This figure is very ridiculous compared to the price of the basic basket in January of this year, closed at Bs. 35,392,706.24; according to the Documentation and Social Analysis Center of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers. (CENDAS).

In percentage terms, the most recent salary increase, barely covers 3.7% of the amount corresponding to the price of the basic basket, estimated for last January. At this moment, according to figures from CENDAS, around 25 minimum wages are needed to pay for the basic food basket. Therefore, this measure will not contribute anything to counteract the higher inflation never seen before in our country. On the contrary, as happened in the previous opportunities, it did nothing more than unleash the speculative wave and the upward escalation of prices in the different goods and services.

Gentlemen of the government Why repeat the same formula, if you have erred so many times? Has there been lack of hope, more hunger and more opportunities, when what is needed is a 180 degree turn in public budget policies at the national level? The reality that we feel a newspaper in all the scenarios of our geography cries out for us, the emergency application that can reverse the current economic crisis, however the government continues talking about economic warfare, sabotage, price adjustments that are not met in no side and exchange control, to obtain foreign currency in dollars, which only benefits them, because the common Venezuelan, have no access to dollars, are pagans and give the return.

Charge in dollars and pay in bolivars, who benefits? Why not dollarize the economy and in this way, allow the people free access to the coveted currency? Oil revenues are received in dollars and Venezuelans are paid with hypervalued bolivars, which do not even allow us to cover the cost of the basic food basket. There is the great tragedy that Venezuela is going through, when a human being can not cover his most basic needs, he is trapped in the search to solve his survival; and this, generates chaos in all scenarios of national events.

In this order of ideas, mechanisms should be sought to lower the prices of all goods and services, through subsidies, without the need to increase salaries. What will happen tomorrow when I go to buy a kilo of cheese, which yesterday cost me the scandalous sum of Bs. 450 thousand, obviously, it will cost me between Bs. 600 thousand and Bs. 700 thousand in the most conservative of the cases, because the price must be adjusted according to the new salaries and, in the marketing chain, the final consumer is that he assumes the total percentage of all the intermediate percentage increases.

The scheme of the subsidy, would mean for the government to adjust the belt, make expenditures, and above all do without giving a few, the money of many others, we pay taxes, we work with dignity, and we train academically to contribute to the welfare of our Country. It is about putting order at home and encouraging austerity, on the basis of example, stop preaching morals in boxer shorts and take on the commitment of rescuing Venezuela. The picture would be very different if tomorrow when I go to buy the same kilo of cheese, I am pleasantly surprised to be able to acquire it, for the modest price of Bs. 189,000. This saving of Bs. 261,000, calculated at a rate of 58% less in the current price, if it would reflect benefit for the common Venezuelan ...