BEVERAGE manufacturing company, Delta Corporation has
increased the prices of clear and opaque beer by at least 20 percent as the company
battles to improve revenue.
The latest increases come after the company announced
another 25 percent price adjustments on clear beer at the beginning of the
year. 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.
Yesterday most retailers in Bulawayo 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. Sunday News
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