How is the State monitoring of prices for socially important food products carried out?

One of the tools to curb the growth of the cost of socially important food products (NWT) is the introduction of marginal prices.

Currently, the NWT list includes 19 products: flour, bread, cones, eggs, buckwheat, rice, sugar, sunflower and butter, some types of meat (beef, chicken), dairy products (milk, kefir, cottage cheese), vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage) and salt.

Limit prices are introduced by local executive bodies. Akimats calculate and approve the price for each product from the list of NWT in the region. In the future, the compliance of the approved price with the actual price in stores is also controlled by the akimats.

In case of exceeding the limit price, administrative liability is provided for trade entities. So, if such a fact is detected, the fine is 100 MCI, if repeated-200 MCI. Administrative fines are also imposed by local executive bodies.

In turn, the MIT coordinates the state authorities in the issue of pricing for NWTP in the regions.

At the same time, MIT introduced the size of the maximum trade mark-up on NWPT: the seller's margin should not exceed 15% of the manufacturer's selling price or the wholesale supplier's purchase price.

In order to promptly respond to violations of the rules of the maximum trade mark-up, maximum prices, or to identify cases of unjustified overestimation of prices for socially important food products, the Ministry of Trade and Integration constantly monitors prices in retail facilities in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

One of the most important channels for obtaining timely and reliable information is the cashback service Dosmart.kz: every citizen of Kazakhstan can send a photo of the receipt for the purchase of food products and receive up to 1% cashback to the mobile phone account. The accumulated information is sent to the MIT, which gives us the opportunity to report the facts of price increases to the relevant akimat for action.

Consumers, in case of detection of the fact of increase in prices for socially significant food products, can also apply to the local executive body.

In order to stabilize prices and develop systematic measures to prevent sharp price spikes, the MIT, together with interested government agencies, has developed a Roadmap. The measures envisaged are aimed at strengthening the control of state bodies over market participants, improving existing mechanisms, increasing production and supporting enterprises, and legislative changes.