The teams, headed by the President of the institution, Ricardo Salazar, carried out a day of inspection in bookstores and other types of establishments where school supplies are sold. In addition, a survey of establishments with the lowest prices will be published so that consumers can save on their purchases.

The school year for students in the public sector will begin on february 6, under the 100% attendance mode; while the Asociación de Colegios Privados de El Salvador (ACPES) reported that their classes will begin between the 16th and 17th of this month.

According to the first surveys carried out by the CD in the historic center of San Salvador and its surroundings, as well as in San Miguel and other places in the interior of the country, to date no strong indications of unjustified price increases in school supplies have been detected.

The purpose of the inspections is to encourage and verify that bookstores and other points of sale of notebooks and other school supplies publish their prices and that they do not increase them unjustifiably.

In addition, it is sought that they comply with the promotions and offers that they keep in sight of consumers and that they implement misleading advertising, that is to say that they promise discounts and at the end, when the customer pays at the cash register, they do not apply them, explained the president of the Defensoría del Consumidor.

As the beginning of the school year approaches, in both the public and private sectors, operations will increase in the main cities of the country's interior, to ensure the purchasing power of Salvadorans, especially those families with fewer economic resources.

The head of the DC warned that those who increase prices without justification are exposed to fines of up to 500 minimum wages. He also reiterated the call to salvadorans to report increases in these products to WhatsApp 7844-1482 and the 910 call center.

Translated by: A.M