MINSK, 19 April (BelTA) – The price situation in Belarus remains stable, BelTA learned from Belarusian Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Vladimir Koltovich on 18 April.
The official said: “The price situation in the country is stable. We continue working closely with natural monopolies and dominant companies. At present natural monopolies account for 1.04% out of the 2.5% inflation figure registered in Q1 2018. The free market or companies operating in a competitive environment account for 1.46% of the figure.”
In his words, the list of dominating companies includes over 600 names. Those are companies, which share in commodity markets exceeds 35%. “The list is constantly changing. Last year over 150 commodity markets were analyzed and over 130 companies were added while 55 ones were removed from the list,” specified the antimonopoly regulation and trade minister.
Vladimir Koltovich noted that once a commercial entity is on the dominant companies list, it is subject to the pricing law. “The free market works on its own. We don't interfere with its prices. Competition is in effect. The number of companies and the products they offer create the competitive environment. No company raises prices without a cause,” stressed the official.
The agreement on interaction and information exchange between the Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry and the Association of Retail Chains is designed to improve price monitoring effectiveness in Belarus. The document was signed by Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Vladimir Koltovich and Executive Director of the Association of Retail Chains Natalya Shablinskaya on 18 April.
