The Ministry of Trade reported today, Tuesday, that the majority of merchants overprice food oil and tomato paste items for profiteering.
The Director General of the Commercial and Financial Control Department at the ministry, Riyadh Mehdi Al-Musawi, according to the official newspaper, said, "The field teams belonging to the department identified through their monitoring procedures stability in market prices regarding basic
food items, yet the majority of merchants overprice food oil and tomato paste, aiming at speculation and profiteering at the expense of the consumer."
He pointed out that "this prompted the ministry to coordinate with representatives of the producing or exporting companies of these two items, to determine a fixed price for them that suits citizens' incomes like other materials, and to prevent some
merchants from monopolizing them or speculating with their prices for profiteering at the expense of the consumer, since they are necessary consumer materials."
He pointed out that "this prompted the ministry to coordinate with representatives of the producing or exporting companies of these two items, to determine a fixed price for them that suits citizens' incomes like other materials, and to prevent some merchants from monopolizing them or speculating with their prices for profiteering at the expense of the consumer, since they are necessary consumer materials."
In the same context, Al-Musawi confirmed that "the ministry, within its procedures aimed at controlling the prices of main food items, prepared a two-way plan, the first is enhancing the food basket file in terms of quality and quantity, through
following up on ration agents to ensure they do not manipulate prices or deliver basket materials in quantities less than prescribed," confirming that "the ministry allocated specific hotlines for complaints or complaining through the (Raqibni) website linked to the Prime
Minister's Office."
In the same context, Al-Musawi confirmed that "the ministry, within its procedures aimed at controlling the prices of main food items, prepared a two-way plan, the first is enhancing the food basket file in terms of quality and quantity, through following up on ration agents to ensure they do not manipulate prices or deliver basket materials in quantities less than prescribed," confirming that "the ministry allocated specific hotlines for complaints or complaining through the (Raqibni) website linked to the Prime Minister's Office."
He added that "the second side of the plan includes controlling the prices of the local commercial market," pointing out "the existence of overpricing in the price of a table egg tray, which the ministry set at six thousand dinars
per tray, while it is sold outside hypermarkets at a price reaching seven thousand and 500 dinars."
He added that "the second side of the plan includes controlling the prices of the local commercial market," pointing out "the existence of overpricing in the price of a table egg tray, which the ministry set at six thousand dinars per tray, while it is sold outside hypermarkets at a price reaching seven thousand and 500 dinars."
He stressed "the need of this matter for a decision from the Ministerial Council for Economy belonging to the Council of Ministers, to decide on it to be binding on all parties."
