Our local currency is the Bart. Obviously, if you are selling something, then you can fix a price for it. But the big question is - is all work paid at the same rate?
Local currency systems are a form of gift economy, and as such are primarily cooperative in nature rather than competitive. In that respect they are naturally more egalitarian than the regular economy. We could use the term 'co-production' to refer to work done in such systems. Co-production means that everyone's work is important, and no one's work is to be devalued.
However, we do not have a strict hour-for-hour equivalence in . While much of the work done in is paid at a rate of ten Barts per hour, much of it is not. It is common for those offering professional or technical services to charge more. This reflects the general economy and recognizes the investment in skills that professional and technical work require.
While it is currently unusual in to charge more than 30 Barts per hour, members can and do charge whatever rates they choose. It is a good idea to ask about someone's rates before making an exchange. We also recommend if you will be charging more than 30 Barts per hour that you make this clear in advance.
It also needs to be recognized that overhead costs for some services can be substantial. Costs such as office rental, travel, research, support personnel, and insurance can make it necessary for someone to charge much higher than 30 Barts per hour, even though the actual 'take home' value of that service may only be 20 Barts per hour. We encourage members to include overhead in the rates they charge, and to just try to be fair and reasonable in their analysis of those costs. Sometimes this may mean that a member will charge partly in local currency and partly in national currency (Euros) to cover overheads.