TEHRAN,Iran, June 8
Trend:
The diary producers are only allowed to increase prices on their products after the approval of Iran's Dairy Industries Association, the secretary of the association Reza Bakeri told Trend.
"Any change of price should be done only through the approval, and the dairy companies are obligated to submit documents, and explain why prices should be increased," he said.
"These companies are not allowed to increase prices by themselves and its unlikely that they would do so. The producers are obligated to follow the approved prices," he said.
"From some 80 dairy products, only 12 are considered as main ones in a household consumer basket, so their price is set officially, while other prices are set by competing companies, to attract customers," Bakeri explained.
"The reforming of prices should be done legally, based on inflation rate in the current Iranian year (began March 20,2020)," he added.
"Last week the Dairy Industries Association has announced to all companies to provide documents for their suggestive prices to be reviewed and then finalized by the Consumers and Producers Protection Organization," he said.
Bakeri added that consumers can report any illegal raise of prices to inspectors in their respective provinces.
"Even after the coronavirus started spreading, small and medium size companies did not have an increase of consumption due to quarantine," he said.
"The annual statistics indicate that Iran is exporting some 450,000 tons of dairy products. This figure has reduced by 1/3 due to COVID-19," he added.