By Novruz - belts to tighten

The festive table of Azerbaijani families costs more every year. Unlike New Year, the spring holiday Novruz is two in one. It consists of Holy Tuesday (last Tuesday before the March equinox) and direct celebration on March 20. Azerbaijanis are prepared equally to both ceremonies, and in many regions Holy Tuesday is celebrated even more solemnly.

Food market survey showed that the average family of 4 persons (father, mother and two children) will spend at least 155 manats on Novruz. The menu includes only the necessary attributes. So, pilaf (lamb, long rice, butter, onion, raisins, chestnuts, dried apricots, prunes and spices) will cost 35 manat. Baklava and shekerbura together, if the oven is at home, will cost 45 manats.

There are obligatory elements of spring decoration - sprouted grains (semeni), seasoning "sumac", milk, fruit vinegar, various edible greens, candles and colored eggs. Required are walnuts, hazelnuts, fruit, sweets, pastries, juices and water as an indicator of welfare. So 155 manat (excluding traditional pickles and "half a liter" with champagne) is the amount barely sufficient for thrifty families. Treat for visiting adolescents (trick or treat?) increases the expenditure part of the budget to 160, and the indispensable mutual party is another 40 or more manats.

Most of the population is registered like living in the regions, but works in Baku and its suburbs. Hence, it is necessary to add to the cost of the mandatory trip to the family home - along with goodies with a grace that's counting 100 - total 300 manat for the arrival of spring.

In previous years, the Center for Economic Research (CER) counted holiday spending by local standards, incomplete families of 4 people ("average family") as well as divorced parents, brothers and sisters). According to him, only on festive table in spring 2013 was spent 147, in 2012 - 141, and in 2011 - 134 manats.

The majority of citizens , especially public sector workers , pensioners and the disabled , are not aware that per capita income last year amounted to 4 336.6 thousand or 39.6 manat ( for a family of 4 persons on average accounted for more than 1 thousand 345) month. This, according to official statistics, was 8% more than in 2012. That is, according to the State Statistics Committee, last year's income grew by 8% in consumer price inflation of 2.4 %.

Alternative calculations show the absurdity of government performance. According to the CEI based on monitoring in 10 regions of the country, food inflation in March 2012 compared to March 2011 was 11.43 % with a 5% increase in prices for services. In Baku, prices have risen by 10.23 % and in regions - 4.33%. In March 2011 compared with March 2010 food inflation was 26.2 % for almost 3 % increase of prices for services. And again, the capital's residents felt twice as strong as the difference in comparison with relatives in the regions. Unfortunately, due to the completion of the project CER not conducted monitoring of price indexation in 2013. However, the consumer purse is the best "barometer" of the real costs of oscillations.

The official inflation data are questioned due to the social protests in Guba and Ismayilli, by factory workers, entrepreneurs, farmers, and health and education staff. In this series of personal recognition and the head of state that there were unacceptable levels of social inequality that crosses the wrong method used to calculate the average per capita income. In this case it is the president of the country that objectively stands at the head of the State Committee of Statistics of mythmaking - quarterly and, especially, annual, report of this structure had never been published before the speech by Ilham Aliyev at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on the basis of socio-economic development.

And yet, the minimum consumer basket in 2014 was set at 125 manat - 136 working-age population and at 103 - for pensioners and children under 15 years. This means that low-income family of four people is taken from an ATM and a monthly allowance on the same day is spent on preparation for Novruz. And what will they (not to mention the many thousands of single people receiving benefits for disability from 40 to 50 manat) do after the holidays?

The reason for the troubles is that the country's leadership is not the standard of living. It does not know that the poor not only scanty eating and drinking , but somehow dress up, spend money on drugs , nominally free education, are forced to go to weddings and funerals of close friends. Therefore not surprising that even laid Cabinet least food (not to mention clothing and services) becomes for many of them inaccessible pleasure and luxury holiday. -17D-