Measures to ensure stability of prices for socially important food products and vegetables in the off-season were discussed at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.

The price index for socially important food products in Kazakhstan has been decreasing for three consecutive weeks. A steady downward trend is observed in prices for such products as buckwheat groats, onions, sunflower oil, flour and others.

To prevent significant price fluctuations for vegetables in the off-season, the Government has worked out in advance the possibilities of direct contracting with suppliers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The subordinate organisation of the Ministry of Trade and Integration "QazTrade" JSC has signed relevant contracts with Uzbek and Tajik partners. 

Vegetables will be supplied to the Kazakh market through the "green corridor" and at the most attractive prices, with the exclusion of intermediaries and resellers. 

Contracts for the supply of imported vegetables have been concluded with 9 agricultural companies with a total volume of 4,000 tonnes, including 2,060 tonnes of potatoes and 1,940 tonnes of onions.

To meet the needs of all regions of Kazakhstan and avoid price hikes for vegetables in the off-season, Prime Minister instructed to conclude contracts in a timely manner and ensure uninterrupted supply of products.

In general, akimats need to contract at least 18.6 thousand tonnes of potatoes, 7.2 thousand tonnes of carrots and 5 thousand tonnes of onions. At present, 81 thousand tonnes of vegetable products have been allocated from available stocks. 

The meeting also considered the results of state control over compliance with the requirements for the sale of socially important food products. Since the beginning of the year the Ministry together with the interested bodies revealed 732 facts of exceeding the trade mark-up, initiated more than 1 thousand administrative proceedings, eliminated 109 unproductive intermediaries.

More than 2.5 thousand chains affecting pricing were analysed, more than 800 risks of violations of trade, tax and antimonopoly legislation were identified. Information on all identified facts was sent to authorised bodies for prompt action.

The activity of regional commissions has been reformatted and strengthened through the involvement of control and fiscal and law enforcement agencies.

Head of the Government instructed the akims of Zhambyl region and Abay region, where the growth of prices for some items has been recorded, to strengthen measures to stabilise them.

The Ministry of Trade has been instructed to analyse price changes on a daily basis, the Ministry of Agriculture - to provide the market with domestic crops of high quality and in full, to implement all the planned measures to increase the volume of processing in the agro-industrial complex. 

"Providing people with quality and inexpensive products is one of the main tasks of the Government and local authorities. We need direct supplies without intermediaries and price manipulation. Akims together with law enforcement agencies should ensure order and transparency in this matter," Olzhas Bektenov emphasised.

#Olzhas Bektenov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Socially Important Food Products