Your account sounds eerily similar to what I saw happening in Zimbabwe not too-long ago. Long lines, exchange and price-controls causing shortages of basic, sim

Your account sounds eerily similar to what I saw happening in Zimbabwe not too-long ago. Long lines, exchange and price-controls causing shortages of basic, simple goods. Government officials getting kickbacks, then turning around and selling it on the black-market. Oh, and of course, the poor getting handouts simply so they wouldn't revolt or "vote" differently. Really, that last part about the government-officials getting preferential treatment is probably what's playing a huge part in destabilizing the market there. They're quite-literally abusing their government-employee privilege in order to multiply their own-benefit, disregarding the fact that every time they do it, they dilute things for everyone else. E.g. in Zimbabwe, foreign currency was very scarce. But government officials were given guaranteed monthly "allowances" at the ridiculous official (controlled) exchange rate. They then simply turned-around and sold it on the black-market at the highly-inflated rate (because of the scarcity). They "buy" at say 10 units per dollar, then turn around and sell at 100 units for each dollar. Oh, and the big reason people wanted dollars? So they could trade with the outside world. And since it was near-impossible to manufacture/create anything of value, then "buying" foreign currency with goods was next to impossible. Have you considered leaving? Is there something tying you to staying there?