State to regulate commercial addition for pasta, cereal grits and rice

The pasta, cereal grits and rice have been introduced on the list of goods the commercial addition to which is regulated by the state. According to Info-Prim Neo, the decision was taken on June 4 by the Cabinet as a response to the speculative hike in prices of some foodstuffs sold by retailers. First deputy premier Igor Dodon said the sugar producers had not changed the wholesale price of 9,10 lei, while the sugar stockpiles run up to some 23,000 tonnes. Economy and Trade Minister Igor Dodon remarked also the stockpiles of rice, 3,000 tonnes, were sufficient to make up for the consumption during 3 months. Thus, the rise of the retail prices is economically unjustified. Following controls operated by law-enforcement bodies, many wholesale warehouses were found to have stopped selling sugar and rice, thus creating an artificial shortage on the market. According to the Anti-Corruption Center chief, Sergiu Puscuta, the companies having violated the legal regulations concerning commercial addition limit will be applied fines as large as the amount of the illicit profit they got, as this profit will be confiscated. Viorelia Carare, the Competition Protection Agency chief, says the agency has started to investigate possible cartel arrangements among different wholesale companies selling sugar. The Economy minister said as to the sunflower oil that the limit of commercial addition had not been exceeded. Still, the pol producers and wholesalers will be convened to consider the structure of product price in detail. As to the rice price on the domestic market, according to Igor Dodon, it soared because China and Indonesia stopped their exports. The meat prices rose because of the drop in domestic production, but they are expected to fall after the Government eases restrictions on imports. Dodon says the domestic prices of fuels yield retailers a profit of 0.5%. The oil barrel price dropping under $123 on world markets (as of 4 June) creates premises for the domestic market getting stable. At the same time, the largest fuel operators in Moldova say they will offer discounts of 1.2-1.3 lei per liter for the diesel fuel sold to farmers during harvesting. The needs of the farmers for this purpose are assessed at some 18,000 tonnes of diesel fuel. Prime-Minister Zinaida Greceanai instructed the law-enforcement bodies to punish the ones to be found guilty of illegally raising the prices, as the Cabinet formed a special working group to monitor the price fluctuations. Info-Prim Neo specifies that the list of socially important goods, the commercial addition for which is regulated by the state, envisages canned food for children, sunflower oil, dairy, sugar, flour, butter, bread, linen soap, detergents, construction materials (including cement) and a series of medicines, approved of by the Health Ministry. The commercial addition for bread is 8% , for medicines 40% , and for the rest of the goods it is 20%.