Venezuela’s National Assembly approved a $79 million credit to import toilet paper and other personal hygiene products to relieve shortages in the petroleum-rich state.
The South American OPEC member has the world’s largest proven oil reserves but has wrestled with periodic shortages of several consumer goods since price controls were imposed in 2003 under the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez.
The credit will be used to purchase 39 million rolls of toilet paper, 50 million sanitary napkins, 10 million bars of soap, 17 million disposable diapers and three million tubes of toothpaste.
Chavez, who died of cancer in March, launched a “Bolivarian Revolution” during his 14 years in power, using the country’s vast oil wealth to fund social programs for the poor and back regional leftist allies.
But chronic shortages have plagued the country since Chavez imposed currency and price controls in 2003.
Venezuelans suffer from sporadic power outages, inflation — which topped 20 percent last year — and a public debt of $150 billion, or half the gross domestic product of the country of 29 million.