Prices at markets come under strict scrunity
ANKARA
Authorities have tightened inspections over alleged excessive price increases at supermarkets and marketplaces, Trade Minister Mehmet Muş has said.
“We have taken citizens’ complaints into account. Those will not be short-term inspections, they will not be over in a month, as the rationale behind this scrutiny is to improve rule-based commercial activities,” Muş told reporters Sept. 17.
Overall food prices increased by 30 percent on an annual basis in August, the latest official data showed.
Unprocessed food prices rose by nearly 35 percent year-on-year. Fresh fruit and vegetable prices increased 40 percent in August from the same month of 2020.
The annual increase in processed food prices was some 36 percent last month. The headline annual consumer price inflation advanced to 19.25 percent in August from 18.95 percent in the previous month.
Meanwhile, the Trade Ministry announced on Sept. 17 that inspectors will look into complaints from consumers that companies have not reduced vehicle prices despite recent changes made in the special consumption tax (SCT) regulation.
In August, the government increased the price thresholds at which SCT is imposed on some vehicles.
The latest regulation was designed to make price reduction possible, however, car dealers are apparently not lowering prices of the vehicles which are covered by the new SCT policy, the ministry said in a statement.
