Premier’s requests not to raise prices of products sold near hospitals remain unheard

The requests not to raise the prices of products sold near hospitals addressed by Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev to the traders remain unheard. Tarlev ascertained recently that the prices of basic necessities in the retail outlets selling near and inside medical-sanitary institutions continue to be high, even if he asked to stop such practices in April. He said that the price of bottled water sold near hospitals and bus stops is twice or threefold higher. Though the Premier said earlier that he will not tolerate such prices and asked the relevant authorities to monitor the activity of these sellers, the situation remains unchanged. This time, the Prime Minister gave new instructions: to terminate the contracts with the economic entities that work in stations and fix exaggerated prices. “We must accept only the economic agents that observe the law. To treat the consumer unfairly is not market economy as they think,” Tarlev said. According to the Premier, there are too many traders working near hospitals and they do not know how to sell products. He says that they profit from the inability of the sick people to go to shops and markets to purchase whatever they need and increase artificially the prices of these products. Tarlev insisted that the relevant authorities take action. He suggested building pavilions for the retail outlets working inside hospitals, on condition that they have obligations and responsibilities. Earlier, representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Trade and of the Fiscal Inspectorate were to monitor the situation and present to the Government a plan of action for changing the state of affairs regarding trading in healthcare institutions.