No violations of the moratorium on price increases in the food market of the Vitebsk region have been recorded
No violations of the moratorium on price increases in the Vitebsk region's food market were recorded in recent days, Anna Olshanskaya, head of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Antimonopoly and Price Policy Department, told a BELTA correspondent.
The department has intensified price monitoring at retail facilities of all forms of ownership and conducts it daily. According to preliminary estimates, the situation in the food market is stable, with ex-factory prices of major producers, including enterprises of the Belgospishcheprom concern, not increasing. Moreover, in the first two weeks of December, through joint efforts of producers and retail enterprises, prices for a number of food products were reduced: for poultry and its semi-finished products, sausages, bananas, oranges, vodka, and some other food products. And in recent days, the situation has not changed, prices remain at the same level, stated Anna Olshanskaya.
For non-food products, mainly of imported origin, due to changes in the foreign exchange market situation, there have been instances of price gouging. "We are addressing these issues in a planned manner. For example, in some markets and shopping centers, there were instances of retail price increases for household appliances and children's goods, but after intervention, the situation was brought into compliance with the law," noted Anna Olshanskaya. According to her, the department recently conducted ten unscheduled inspections at retail enterprises. For all identified violations of price and antimonopoly policy, immediate response measures have been taken. For one of the enterprises where an administrative violation occurred, the materials have been sent to the economic court.
Regarding the facts of trade facilities closing under various pretexts for revaluation, representatives of the Vitebsk Regional Trade Inspectorate and the Department of Trade and Services promptly dealt with them. They are currently continuing to monitor the situation with prices and assortment, tracking compliance with the decree on additional measures to protect consumer rights. "Thus, the situation is under strict control, and any non-compliance with trade legislation entails an immediate reaction from the regulatory authorities," emphasized Anna Olshanskaya.
Ekaterina Knyazeva