Commissioner of Consumer Affairs Explains Reasons Behind Increasing Grocery Prices in USVI

A disruption in the supply chain and a shortage of labor caused by measures enforced by countries and companies to contain and or control Covid-19 infection spread is the reason why groceries are increasing in cost.

That's according to Richard Evangelista, commissioner of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, who said the increase is nothing unexpected or unique to the Virgin Islands because these increases are occurring globally.

“Covid-19 has caused a major disruption in the supply chain as well as in the labor market. Factories are forced to open and close, there is a shortage of staff that were once manning these industries, there is a truck driver shortage, there is a trawler container shortage, there is a showmen shortage,” he said Wednesday while listing some of the factual reasons behind the increase.

Addressing the issue on the Bryan administration's “Inside the Cabinet,” the commissioner said that there are containers sitting off the course of California that are remaining unattended to and while they wait “the supplies are not getting to the shelves – so the supply is shorter, and the demand is greater.”