State Control Committee to take more measures to reduce prices for food, medications if necessary

MINSK, 1 March (BelTA) – The State Control Committee and other government agencies continue monitoring prices for food and medications. If necessary, the committee will initiate additional measures to reduce prices for these commodities, BelTA learned from Chairman of the State Control Committee of Belarus Vasily Gerasimov.

The official reminded that upon instructions of the head of state the State Control Committee and other government agencies (the Healthcare Ministry, the Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Ministry, the oblast administrations) are monitoring prices for consumer goods and medications. “Most of the prices have started going down,” Vasily Gerasimov noted. In his words, it happened even before the Council of Ministers passed the resolution to limit monthly price raises for 60 commodities. “But we keep working. Dedicated teams check prices in drugstores several times per week. We need information about prices in specific drugstores. Depending on results of the monitoring efforts additional measures will be taken to reduce prices,” Vasily Gerasimov said.

The official noted that not all the retailers have taken due measures to reduce prices. “We believe prices for several commodities have not been sufficiently reduced in comparison with their initial price raises,” the head of the State Control Committee said. For instance, they initially raised prices by 30% although the cancelled VAT exemption was only 10% and then reduced prices by only 10% when the authorities told them to.

Prices should be sensible, objective, and fair, Vasily Gerasimov stressed.

In his report to Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko he pointed out the importance of preventive efforts, including with regard to pricing practices. “The State Control Committee coordinates efforts of all the oversight agencies. Work has already been remodeled to focus on monitoring and prevention. I think the future belongs to this approach. We should focus more on preventing offences,” Vasily Gerasimov told Aleksandr Lukashenko. “When prices have already been raised, the ship has in essence sailed. We should prevent such things.”