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| Christmas day and the Durres fruit and vegetable market is empty |
On the eve of the end of the year holidays, this is an unusual panorama of the fruit and vegetable market in Durrës. At the city's only brand, shoppers can be counted on the fingers of a hand.
Despite keeping prices at a constant rate, traders say that purchases this year have fallen sharply.
"Purchasing power was not zero, but below zero. The prices are very cheap, but there is no purchasing power. There is no money. You will earn 12-13 thousand lek, not the bag, not the local lek, but it is better to work in vain than to sit in vain. Very weak, people have no money", say some merchants.
Although the prices have not increased much compared to the pace of a year ago, the fear of not overspending has forced consumers to "fold their hands".
"The prices are okay, but we can't afford them because we have a pension, we have to spend as much as we get," said a citizen.
According to field observations, about 87% of vegetables have increased by 20-30 leks, compared to the prices of a week ago.