MINSK, 12 March (BelTA) – Prices for staple products are constantly monitored, and appropriate measures are taken against those who violate pricing regulations, Head of the Control Activities Coordination Department at the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) Kirill Slabko told reporters on 11 March, BelTA has learned.
“Prompt and efficient action is of paramount importance. A set of various tools and mechanisms is used to achieve the desired result. First of all, we analyze the information submitted to the ministry by consumers and government agencies, as well as publications in the media. We vest great hopes on the online platform on the MART website, as it allows us to quite accurately identify price rises and take action,” Kirill Slabko said.
All the data is analyzed and forwarded to local branches of MART. Decisions are made based on the results of checks. We can issue warnings, recommendations; administrative action can be launched against perpetrators, up to temporary shutdown of retail outlets (this is stipulated by Decree No. 143 of 24 April 2020).
The ministry identified 199 violations of pricing regulations in 2020. Administrative action was brought against 100 perpetrators. Fines worth a total of more than Br200,000 were issued. Since the beginning of 2021, 16 such violations have been detected. “Overpriced products included onions, buckwheat, chicken. However, these violations are not of systemic nature, they are occasionally reported every now and then. Penalties for legal entities are quite tough. A fine is equal to the doubled difference between the proceeds obtained illegally and the proceeds that should have been received legally. In practice, fines can amount to thousands and tens of thousands of rubles,” the official said.
According to him, violations can be committed by suppliers and retail chains. However, the bulk of violations were reported in trade. “At the same time, violations differ. There can be a technical error or a human error resulting in the 0.1% increase of the markup above the norm. There are incidents when markups are increased 3-4 times - we dealt with cases when the markup was 120% instead of 30%. These perpetrators are subject to harsher punishment,” the MART representative emphasized.
On 23 February 2021, the government passed Decree No. 100 to introduce price regulation for staple products. The list includes rice, flour, semolina, buckwheat, oatmeal, barley, bread, beef, pork, chicken, some types of sausages, fish, milk, kefir, sour cream, cottage cheese, fruit and vegetables, sugar, soap, toilet paper, diapers, matches, as well as certain medications. Starting from 1 March, prices for staple goods cannot rise by more than 0.2% per month as against the last day of the previous month.
