The Ramadan in Algeria

The Ramadan in Algeria .

In Islam, Ramadan is a period of 30 days during which, for religious reasons, believers stop doing particular things they enjoy.

The bother of not eating, not drinking, not smoking, not having sex since sunrise to sunset is considered to be the main part of this holy month.

By Kaci Racelma.

This sacred month which symbolizes enjoyment and happiness, involves heavy spending, which is particularly difficult for families with modest incomes.

During this period, people in all over the Muslim world people take the culinary

delights to have enough energy to cope with the difficulties of the day.

The pleasant tasting food which is specific for this holy month involves sweet

as Zalabia, a sort of cake made with sugar.

During this period only persons in bad physical state and women in their menstrual cycles are exempt from this duty.

In Algeria , Ramadan month involves heavy spending, which is particularly difficult for families with modest incomes.

It seems that in all the countries of Muslim world, the merchants maximize their

Profits during religious holy day.

In Algeria the approach to this sacred period the consumers are falling prey to prices rises that is a business opportunity to many unscrupulous traders.

Prices are hiked despite the fact that items are in huge supply.

To guard against the problem, a government committee met on 13 September in the presence of the Minister of Trade El-Hachemi Djaaboub to decide on measures to be taken to tackle this price increases.

These measures include a program "to control the market during the holy month of Ramadan".

Even agents are engaged in the sense of regulating consumer prices ,no one seems to be able to monitor them under the great influence of unscrupulous merchants.

Even the minister's statement paid particular emphasis to controlling trading practices and the penalties that will be incurred for non-compliance with sector regulations, the same practices are still existing in a discordance with the clients.

This initiative includes some measures to forbid the temporary switching of business activity to cash in on Ramadan.

Tradesmen often transform their shops into bakeries producing zalabia, a sugary cake made from flour that Muslims eat to ensure an easiness to their bodies after a day's fasting.

As last year many of the merchants disregarded unscrupulously basic health and safety regulations by exposing goods to air ,it is easy to remark at the beginning of the holy day the difference.

All these tradesmen changed the attitude and the way of working.

As some vendors are taking advantage of the shopping mood of the people and increasing their prices the Algerian Traders' and Craftsmen's decide to minimize the impact by deciding to distribute and check at least meat which is widely consumed during this period.

fruit and vegetables.

It is not vain to mention that prices of potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and onions have all known an augmentation by an average of 20 per cent, with the prices expected to risen by 50 per cent by the first day of aid El fitr ,the day when Muslims end the Ramadan.

Amidst the consumers it is said that this increase is a serious stole as agricultural production has seen unprecedented increases over the last few years because of the introduction of the National Agricultural Development Program initiated in 2002.

"We are stunned to remark this augmentation in an incorrect way whereas only one week earlier the situation was different" remarks Saidi Ahcene ,a consumer living in BabEl oued a suburb in Algiers .

These remarks emanate even from the deep society where people living under the breadline income are unable to face with such a situation.