Santo Domingo.- Retailers in Santo Domingo are sounding the alarm as festive season crowds fail to materialize in main markets corresponding to Nuevo de la Duarte and Villa Agrícolas. Distributors report little to no prospects, attributing the downturn to exorbitant meals costs and shoppers merely missing money to spend, even throughout what ought to be a bustling vacation interval, Listín Diario reported right now.

Salaries averaging round RD$20,000 a month are being stretched to cowl a fundamental basket costing as much as RD$45,000, forcing consumers to purchase far lower than they want. Fernando Araujo, a stall proprietor, remarked that households are “doing magic” to make ends meet, and sometimes go away with “less than half” of their deliberate purchases.

Staple gadgets have seen dramatic value hikes, with salted cod leaping from RD$150 to RD$225 per pound, rice returning to RD$40 per pound, and pork being bought at RD$125 —generally at a loss— but nonetheless failing to draw patrons. Shopper teams have labeled the steep will increase “criminal,” criticizing authorities value oversight mechanisms as ineffective and calling for rapid intervention from President Abinader.

Neighborhood organizations warn a harsh actuality is rising: households are shifting to much less nutritious, cheaper meals simply to fill their stomachs. They report a worrying rise in well being points tied to poor eating regimen, together with gastrointestinal sicknesses and tuberculosis. These teams are urging the federal government to curb the rising prices of fundamental meals to stop a deepening humanitarian disaster in 2026.