Food prices stable, no room for violations: Kuwait

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A team led by Faisal Al-Ansari, the Director of the Technical Body overseeing commodity prices in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, conducted an inspection tour of central markets and mills specializing in the sale of coffee, cardamom, and saffron in the Shuwaikh area. The purpose of the tour was to verify the surveyed prices of essential commodities and ensure stability, particularly for items experiencing high demand such as coffee and cardamom.

Al-Ansari, in an exclusive statement to Al-Anbaa, affirmed that the inspection carried out by a team of male and female inspectors resulted in the fixation of prices for these products and the monitoring of stable prices for various food commodities. During the tour, several citizens, including the elderly, commended the role of inspectors, especially female members, in price monitoring. Al-Ansari emphasized that such tours not only reassure consumers but also act as a deterrent against opportunistic price hikes without justification. The ministry, he asserted, will not tolerate violators and will enforce the law to prevent artificial price increases.

Additionally, Al-Ansari mentioned that the price monitoring team has secured commitments from central markets and stores to refrain from raising prices and adhere to the officially announced prices for consumers.

Highlighting directives from Minister of Trade and Industry, Muhammad Al-Aiban, and Undersecretary Ziad Al-Najem, Al-Ansari emphasized the Commercial Control and Consumer Protection Sector’s responsibility to track food prices, monitor markets, and take legal action against violators to safeguard consumers.

Al-Ansari outlined that the team of inspectors is in the process of comparing current store prices with those registered within the ministry’s electronic system, covering 67 cooperative societies and 8 major central markets. He encouraged consumers to report complaints through various channels, such as the hotline number 135, WhatsApp at 55135135, 21 commercial centers, the Sahel application, or the ministry’s website.

The administration has devised an action plan where inspectors provide stores a deadline to submit their price lists to the administration’s email, with follow-up inspections by the management team.