MCI Stresses that its Procedures Address the Illegal Practices Causing High Prices
MCI emphasizes that the Ministerial Decree subjecting infant milk to the rules and regulation of provision organization in the extraordinary situations and the determination of the maximum prices for such products comes into effect on Wednesday, 13/08/1435 AH. MCI points out that this decree has come as pursuant to the rules of the provision organization and based on what the MCI has monitored in its control and inspection tours of unjustified high prices for those products compared with the neighboring countries, and as a result of the violating marketing practices and agreements, and due to not reflecting the financial aid provided by the State for the prices of these products.
The Ministry says that, under the rules of the provision organization, it has contacted with the companies producing or importing infant milk in order to review the violations of each company with the executives who have attended the meeting with the Ministry, and look at the plans of the companies for correcting their prices on the basis of the deadline given to them, and as a result of the continued monitored violations and the failure to meet the objectives, the decree of H.E. the Minister of Commerce and Industry has been issued subjecting the infant milk to the rules of the provision organization in the extraordinary situation. MCI has begun with the Ministry of Health to study the practices carried out by some companies and institutions producing, importing or distributing infant milk, which involve the provision of illegal marketing support in ways that lead to monopoly in the market and increasing the prices to the consumer.
MCI has pointed out that the prices of foodstuffs are normally subject to free competition among the dealers with the follow-up of the local and global prices by the Ministry to identify factors that affect the price developments, including the shortage of supply, monopoly, or unjustified price rising and working out to take the necessary actions towards those phenomena.
The Ministry called on all companies, institutions and sale centers to adhere to the prices set for infant milk, also called on consumers to report on the retail centers that sell higher than the fixed price or violates in not putting the price tag, or any violations related to refrain from selling or impose restrictions on the sale or storing the items in order to raise the prices through the Report Center (1900) or through its Web site, or through the smart phone applications.