Erbil bakeries protest against KRG bread pricing decision

ERBIL, January 10 – In response to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) recent decision to set the price of 10 pieces of bread or samoons at 1,000 dinars, several bakeries in Erbil locked their oven doors on Wednesday as a form of protest.

The move follows a demonstration held in front of the governor’s office on Monday, January 8, leading to some bakery owners initiating a boycott. Wasta Hoshang, an Erbil bakery owner, voiced concerns to 964media: “Selling 10 loaves of bread for 1,000 dinars will not save us anything, and we will be the main losers because the price of flour is expensive.” Hoshang emphasized that measures like lowering the price or distributing gas would not address their main financial burden, which he identifies as the high cost of flour.

In an alternative proposal, Hoshang suggested selling eight loaves for 1,000 dinars, with each loaf weighing 90 grams. This suggestion comes amidst the unrest stirred by the KRG’s pricing decision.

An unconfirmed statement reportedly issued on behalf of the bakeries has called for the prime minister’s intervention in resolving the issue. Over 1,200 bakeries and samoon sellers operate in Erbil.