During any conflict around the world, many people tend to take advantage of the situation especially where essential items are required for everyday use. This was well demonstrated in our islands during various times, especially during the war and periods of economic uncertainty.

The flourishing of these black market episodes occurred especially during war years and economic recessions from time immemorial.

In our islands during the Russian revolution we had many wealthy Russian aristocrats coming to Malta with no cash but with their jewellery. They used to flock to Valletta trying to find someone to hawk these items.

Some locals who had good finances profited from this critical situation and bought items for peanuts which were valued at much more. Later these were passed on to their children who enjoyed this new found wealth with no guilty conscience as to where they came from.

The 2nd World War on Our Islands

Locals used to recount how many people profited hugely from selling, especially food and rationed items, on the black market. Although the authorities issued severe penalties on whoever was caught profiting from the black market, hundreds of locals continued profiting greatly from it.

Many became very well off financially, much to the detriment of the general public and other poor unfortunate citizens. The ration was officially discontinued in the early/mid 70s.

Government at that period of time officially set up a Price Control Unit to ensure that materials were sold at their normal and correct prices.

Later on during another administration, citizens were told that they would have to seek establishments where costs of food and materials were cheaper. Thus Citizens were left to fend for themselves as shop owners and business men could then price their items as they saw fit.

This was not liberating the pricing of these items, in my view it was giving official blessing to the abusers to profit yet more by raising their prices up as and when they liked.

Nowadays – Present Time

Due to the conflict imposed by Russia on Ukraine, all food and other utensils have more than quadrupled. Each and almost every hour prices are being raised with no control whatsoever.

This war has definitely restricted several crucial food and energy supplies world wide and therefore everyone expects that the cost of living will be detrimentally affected.

But and it is A BIG BUT, the normal citizens do not accept that the same items will be costing much more each and every day of the week.

Let there be price increases in certain materials as is expected where crucial items are restricted and therefore more costly to acquire, but how is it that when one buys food and beverage items, their costs are increased daily or weekly, not by just a little but by some 20%, 30% or 40% more?

Government Control Unit

Government is obliged to monitor and act immediately on this present situation, not only by the cost of living adjustments, as by the time this adjustment is made the items cost will be once more be upped by the importers and shops, who will say that their costs have gone up. This is happening all over the island and in all sectors of the economy.

It is a vicious circle which only the government can control through it’s agencies, departments and governmental officials. That is if there IS A WILL for the authorities to stop this madness of costs continually going up. One should not let greed for yet more wealth take over our lives.

The normal citizen should come first and foremost, not the greedy profiteers who want to get richer to the detriment of all other citizens.

Lino DeBono,

Gozo.

Permalink: The modern black market by Lino DeBono