Filenews 3 November 2021 - by Ioanna Mantzipa
Catering operators are changing price lists and revising prices, with many unable to absorb the tsunami of increases in energy and raw material products imported into Cyprus. PASIKA's estimates speak of an increase that could reach 25%. An increase that will be borne by the consumer, but it will not be noticeable since there may be a harmonious distribution of the increases to other items in the price list.
Speaking to "F", the general secretary of the Pancyprian Association of Leisure Centre Owners (PASIKA), Phanos Leventis, said that despite the efforts made by businessmen not to make increases, they are however so high that many are not able to absorb them. "If we consider that only energy, electricity and LPG have an increase of up to 40%, you realize that energy alone would justify any increases of an entrepreneur."
Due to the situation, several businessmen have contacted the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to proceed with a review of the price lists on their products.
Asked if there are large increases, Mr. Leventis said that PASIKA's estimate is that there will be increases that will reach 25%. "We will see increases of 10% and in some cases they may reach 25%." He explained that at the moment they are assuming that several companies have made increases of 10% - 15%. "These rates are not prohibitive for visitors to a place to eat or order food for the home," he noted.
The SG of the Association of Leisure Centre Owners, asked in which items there will be an upward price revision, explained that the increases will mainly concern dishes which for the entrepreneur has increased the cost of their preparation. They mainly concern products that are imported or even in materials used. For example, he brought the preparation of a sauce which is not produced in Cyprus and the importing companies have made sharp increases. "At the moment there is a huge increase in frying oil as well, so it will be impossible to absorb all the increases," he noted.
Mr. Leventis added that PASIKA is making titanic efforts so that entrepreneurs can keep the increases at the lowest possible rate. "We are looking for ways to control the way they make purchases. That is, to buy such quantities so that they do not have losses and also to prepare the right quantities, so that there is no loss of pre-prepared food.
He also said that some entrepreneurs in the industry would absorb the increases in an effort to avoid printing new catalogues. However, he explained that this is very difficult for business, since the owner will bear the cost himself.
He concluded by saying that for the moment there is no complete picture of all imported products, however for several they are aware that their increase will be sharp. "For example, frying oil, its increase can reach 80%. You need the officials to be very careful in ordering and buying products. No loss is justified. Zero food waste, that's our motto," he said.
