The price of meat, flour, bread, eggs, oil, rice, sugar, milk and a number of highly liquid goods will now be under the constant control of the Antimonopoly Committee. Committee staff can directly enter warehouses of entrepreneurs to check that prices are not artificially increased.
By the decision of the government of Uzbekistan on December 19, the regulation “On the procedure for establishing systematic control and taking necessary measures to prevent unreasonable increases in the prices of basic types of food and necessary products during the period of sharp fluctuations” was approved.
According to the regulation, an analysis is conducted by an authorized body (Antimonopoly Committee) in case of sudden price fluctuations or market agitation. Such a period is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers for up to 6 months.
A swing is defined as a price increase equal to or greater than the CB refinancing rate (currently 15%) within 30 days. Agitation demand is defined as a demand that arises artificially under the influence of noise and panic in the market and increases sharply, with the disruption of the market balance and the increase in the shortage of goods.
When signs of an artificial shortage of products (goods) are detected on the market, the Antimonopoly Committee will directly enter the premises of economic entities and inspect the available stocks in the warehouse (this authority was given to the committee by presidential decree No. 145 of May 31, 2022).
The provisions of the regulation apply to the following basic food products of social importance:
1. Wheat and flour
2. Molded bread
3. Beef
4. Poultry meat
5. Egg
6. Cottonseed oil
7. Sunflower oil
8. Rice
9. Sugar
10. Milk (packaged)
Also, the requirements of the regulation apply to the following highly liquid and monopoly products, raw materials and materials:
1. Car gasoline
2. Extraction gasoline
3. Diesel fuel
4. Technical kerosene
5. Polypropylene
6. Polyethylene
7. Technical sulfur
8. Coal
9. Mineral fertilizers
10. Calcified soda
11. Cathode copper
12. Copper rod
13. Secondary aluminum
14. Black metal rolling
15. Metal zinc
16. Cement
17. Cement clinker
18. Construction glass
19. Sugar (also listed above)
20. Fodder wheat
21. Barley
22. Cotton fiber
23. Cotton lint
24. Vegetable oil (cottonseed oil, also in the above list)
25. Cottonseed hull
26. Cottonseed schrot
27. Technical cottonseed
According to the regulation, the Antimonopoly Committee regularly monitors the following in order to monitor the dynamics of the price changes of the main types of goods:
• prices in markets, shopping complexes, retail chains and exchanges;
• statistics and information of customs authorities (information, bulletin, etc.);
• information in mass media and social networks;
• other sources not prohibited by legislation.
