In a trend that is now turning very routine, beverage manufacturing company, Delta Corporation has increased the prices of clear and opaque beer by at least 20 percent.
Delta corporate affairs executive Ms Patricia Murambinda said the increase in wholesale prices was across the board, with wholesalers now expected to charge $3 for Delta’s pint brown bottle beers, Carling Black Label, Lion and Castle larger. A pint of green bottle beers like Zambezi and Pilsener will now be $3,50.
At the weekend most retailers had already increased their prices, with a quart of Zambezi Lager going for $8 up from $6 while a quart of Castle lager, Black Label now costs $7 up from $5. Pints were still largely unavailable.
“We have increased our prices. Opaque beer prices have gone up. Chibuku Super is $3 and Scud is $2. The increase is on the wholesale prices. The increase is across the board and the increase across the brands is about 20 percent. Our increase is lower than the Interbank Exchange Rate,” she said.
Ms Murambinda said the price adjustments were done to keep track of the Interbank Exchange Rate.
“We are closely monitoring the Interbank Exchange Rate. So all the adjustments that we are making to our prices are made with the interbank rate in mind,” she said.
Nonetheless, the price increase comes in the back of warnings from the Government against wild speculation and wanton price increases by retailers. But Ms Murambinda said the increases were not done unilaterally, as the company consulted widely before effecting the prices.
“Whenever we increase our prices we do so after extensive consultation. We have been working closely and consulting with both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce,” she said.