Main Department of Trade and Services: What does price monitoring in the Vitebsk region show?
– In April 2020, the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) introduced state price regulation for basic socially significant goods, – explains Irina Petrovna. – In particular, maximum markups for trade organizations and importers, and maximum profitability rates for producers have been established. Initially, the regulation covered 26 groups of socially significant food and non-food goods. This year, the list has been expanded, and price regulation is applied to 30 groups of food products. These are primarily critical import products, seasonal, and everyday demand products – meat, fish, sausage, dairy, bakery products, bread, cereals, fruits and vegetables, baby food, etc. Regulation of wholesale markups for enterprises engaged in wholesale trade of socially significant goods has also been introduced.
In addition, since February of this year, in accordance with Resolution No. 100 of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, price changes for 62 types of socially significant goods and 50 types of medicines cannot exceed 0.2% per month. This restriction applies to both manufacturing enterprises and trade organizations. And considering the innovations introduced into this resolution in December of this year, price growth restrictions will currently apply only to 29 types of socially significant goods.
Timely response measures have prevented an unjustified increase in prices for socially significant goods, and according to the results of 11 months of the current year, the Vitebsk region has registered the lowest consumer price index compared to other regions of the republic (Vitebsk region – 108.1%, republic – 109.0%).
– Setting price regulations is one thing, controlling their enforcement is another. What does the monitoring show?
– Control over the price situation in the consumer market is carried out by the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART), the State Control Committee, and executive authorities. For example, in the current year, specialists of the main department of trade and services of the regional executive committee and city/district executive committees have conducted price monitoring in 828 retail outlets in the Vitebsk region. Violations of price legislation were detected in 103 of them (12.4%). Recommendations for eliminating the identified violations were sent to business entities. Prices have been brought into compliance with legislation. It should be noted that the percentage of detected violations has not decreased from month to month, which indicates the need for extensive explanatory work in the regions with business entities regarding the requirements of current legislation in the field of pricing, as well as the measures of administrative responsibility for violating this legislation.
As a member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, like all my colleagues in other regions, I constantly pay attention to monitoring the price situation in the consumer market: I do this monthly in a specific store of a popular retail chain and in a specific pharmacy. Monitoring prices for essential goods and medicines is an instruction from the head of state. In case of unjustified price increases, information is sent to MART for measures to be taken.
– Irina Petrovna, what does price regulation practically give to the consumer and to the seller?
– The introduction of price regulation has made it possible to reduce the inflation rate and provide the population with the most demanded goods in a wide assortment at affordable prices.
Given that socially significant goods account for a significant share of the turnover of trade organizations, limiting the level of trade markups on them leads to a decrease in sales profitability. Thus, in the past period of 2021, this indicator in retail trade organizations of the region amounted to 1.2% compared to 2% in the corresponding period of 2020.
– Are there any exceptions when manufacturers and suppliers can go beyond the established limits and raise prices for socially significant goods?
– In order to prevent shortages and compensate for the increase in the cost of raw materials, auxiliary materials, tariffs for energy carriers and fuel, manufacturing enterprises, importers, as well as trade organizations have the right to increase prices for socially significant goods above the established limit after agreeing on this increase with the Commission on State Regulation of Pricing under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.
– What work is being done in the pre-New Year days to prepare trade and public catering facilities, and is there any special price monitoring?
– To begin with, an order from the Deputy Chairman of the regional executive committee has been adopted, in accordance with which business entities have provided thematic decoration of trade, public catering and service enterprises during the pre-New Year, New Year and Christmas holidays.
From December 1, pre-holiday trade has been organized with exhibitions-sales, sales at reduced prices, food tastings, and promotional campaigns with discounts on goods and services.
According to operational data, trade enterprises of the region plan to hold more than 800 exhibitions-sales, expanded sales, and more than 3 thousand promotions and sales of goods at reduced prices.
From December 18, 2021 to January 7, 2022, about 80 fairs for the sale of food and non-food products with the participation of agricultural producers, industrial, trade and public catering organizations were organized on the territory of the region on weekends.
Since December 20, the Vitebsk State Production Forestry Association has launched the sale of natural fir and pine trees in more than 200 locations. It is planned to sell up to 25,000 units. Retail prices for New Year trees vary depending on the height of the tree – from 14 to 55 rubles.
The retail network has organized an expanded sale of Christmas tree decorations, carnival costumes, artificial fir and pine trees, and New Year-themed souvenirs. A wide range of gifts (up to 37 items), champagne, and sparkling wines (up to 12 items) are available.
Catering facilities are currently accepting applications from individuals, organizations, and enterprises for corporate parties and other festive events (taking into account compliance with anti-epidemic requirements). A festive menu is being developed.
Price monitoring for socially significant goods during the pre-New Year, New Year, and Christmas days will definitely continue.