AMMAN — Traditional
restaurant owners are fighting
an uphill battle to keep their businesses running in the wake of a rise in the
prices of poultry and other essential food items.
اضافة اعلان
Nimer Weld Ali, secretary-general of the Union of
Restaurants and Confectionery Proprietors, said several restaurants serving
traditional meals have gone out of business in the past few weeks. He said the
closures began shortly before the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
“Every day is crucial because the owners are
considering closing, if their problems are not resolved this week,” he told
Jordan
News.
The government began discussions with restaurant
owners after the closure of an estimated 300 traditional food joints in
February.
Restaurant owners want the government to allow them
to hike their menu prices by 5 to 10 percent on grounds that prices of certain
items have increased, such as oil, chicken, and legumes of various kinds,
ultimately reducing their profit.
Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply
Youssef Al-Shamali insisted that despite rising foodstuff prices globally, a margin of
profit was recorded by the traditional restaurants in the Kingdom.
He told Al-Mamlaka TV last week that the ministry
will review restaurant menus, provided that restaurant owners present documents
confirming that losses had indeed been inflicted. He explained that once
“evidence” is established that a restaurant is losing, action will be taken to
help them out.
Amman shawarma stand owner Khaled Al-Safar said he
was disappointed with the government’s “negligence of our demands”.
He insisted that meal portions are “considered a
loss” to many local restaurants. He explained that a meal of grilled chicken,
which is supposed to weigh 1.2kgs as dictated by the government, is rarely sold
if it weighed less than 1.5kgs.
“Now, we are obliged to use smaller chickens and
risk losing our customers loyalty and satisfaction,” he said.
Mohammed Al-Obeidat, head of
National Society for Consumer Protection, said the price ceiling set for traditional meals “must be
reconsidered to save restaurant businesses”.
“A decision is needed as soon as possible, without
any time wasted, because the current situation is going to affect investments
in Jordan,” he pointed out.
Abdel Shakour Al-Jamjoum, head of the Poultry and
Feed Investors Association, said he expected poultry prices to “remain high as
long as feed prices are high internationally”.
He admitted that a boycott of poultry, which began earlier
in May, has had a “minimal effect on the market because chicken consumption is
still high.”
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