Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 27
By Sara Israfilbayova – Trend:
As of late, it is possible to come across certain websites, forums, and social networks spreading news about the alleged rise in food prices in Azerbaijan.
However, monitoring conducted in markets and stores shows that no such changes have occurred.
Sellers and buyers surveyed by Trend also pointed out not encountering products with increased prices
Shahin Naghiyev, Head of Anti-Monopoly and Advertising Legislation Control Department at the State Service for Antimonopoly Policy and Consumer Rights Protection, told Trend that the government is taking all necessary measures to prevent price manipulation. Employees of the Antimonopoly Service conduct regular in-the-field monitoring in particular.
According to Naghiyev, not a single case of price increases has been identified recently. Should such cases be confirmed, the Antimonopoly Service is ready to take legal measures to penalize the perpetrators.
For example, as previously reported by the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev, the price of grain has risen in countries which Azerbaijan imports this product from. This may have been reflected in prices in Azerbaijan; however, after meeting with producers and representatives of retail chains, the government took measures to prevent an increase in the price of bread.
Mustafayev then stressed that the relevant state bodies daily monitor the prices of food products in the country, and no price manipulations have been detected.
The data of the State Statistics Committee also confirms this. For example, in January, the cost of food, beverages and tobacco products in the country rose by only 0.7 percent in annual terms. Moreover, according to statistics, prices (all in annual terms) fell by 0.3 percent for bakery products, by 1 percent for meat products, by 6.6 percent for fruits , and by 0.3 percent for sugar, honey, candy and chocolate.