Prices for some foods in Armenia show downward trend
09.04.2020,
15:42
Prices for some goods in Armenia are on the downward trend, Gegham Gevorgyan, the chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition, told a government meeting on Thursday.
YEREVAN, April 9. /ARKA/. Prices for some goods in Armenia are on the downward trend, Gegham Gevorgyan, the chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition, told a government meeting on Thursday.
"Today, compared to March, when prices went up, we see that prices for some goods are dropping," Gevorgyan said.
Gevorgyan, particularly, compared prices for sugar in February 2020, when it was 230 drams per kilogram, to 255 drams on April 8, while in the same period of 2018 it cost 338 drams. He also cited the prices for butter that in February 2020 was 3,730 drams per kilogram, on April 8 - 3,790 drams, and in 2018 - 4,430 drams.
Also, the price of regular petrol on April 8 fell to 310 drams per liter, to 330 drams for premium petrol and to 370 drams per liter of diesel fuel, down from 450 drams, 470 drams and 460 drams respectively from the same time span in 2018.
"In fact, there is a decline in prices even in the markets with a small number of importers or 1-2 dominating players," said Gevorgyan.
Nevertheless, according to him, the regulator has begun monitoring procedures in almost all food markets.
"We have warned companies that if we find a violation during the state of emergency it will be regarded as an aggravating circumstance," said Gevorgyan.
For his part, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the authorities will be looking into the situation on a daily basis. He said a special attention should be paid to stores outside Yerevan and offline trading.
He noted that the government and state agencies should be careful about prices, because if the authorities try to artificially influence them that would cause a shortage because business entities will stop importing goods if it is not profitable.
"It is very important that there is no artificial interference and attempts to get extra profit. Armenia was one of those rare countries that has not had have empty store shelves, unlike many, even developed countries," Pashinyan said. –0--
"Today, compared to March, when prices went up, we see that prices for some goods are dropping," Gevorgyan said.
Gevorgyan, particularly, compared prices for sugar in February 2020, when it was 230 drams per kilogram, to 255 drams on April 8, while in the same period of 2018 it cost 338 drams. He also cited the prices for butter that in February 2020 was 3,730 drams per kilogram, on April 8 - 3,790 drams, and in 2018 - 4,430 drams.
Also, the price of regular petrol on April 8 fell to 310 drams per liter, to 330 drams for premium petrol and to 370 drams per liter of diesel fuel, down from 450 drams, 470 drams and 460 drams respectively from the same time span in 2018.
"In fact, there is a decline in prices even in the markets with a small number of importers or 1-2 dominating players," said Gevorgyan.
Nevertheless, according to him, the regulator has begun monitoring procedures in almost all food markets.
"We have warned companies that if we find a violation during the state of emergency it will be regarded as an aggravating circumstance," said Gevorgyan.
For his part, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the authorities will be looking into the situation on a daily basis. He said a special attention should be paid to stores outside Yerevan and offline trading.
He noted that the government and state agencies should be careful about prices, because if the authorities try to artificially influence them that would cause a shortage because business entities will stop importing goods if it is not profitable.
"It is very important that there is no artificial interference and attempts to get extra profit. Armenia was one of those rare countries that has not had have empty store shelves, unlike many, even developed countries," Pashinyan said. –0--
