In the Abay region, intensive efforts to identify unjustified price increases on socially important food products are ongoing. Monitoring groups are documenting cases of entrepreneurs artificially inflating prices, violating legal requirements and misleading consumers.

Recent inspections have once again confirmed instances of unjustified markups. In Semey, an individual entrepreneur purchased Barskie salt for 108 tenge per kilogram but sold it for 150 tenge. This difference resulted in a markup of 39 percent, more than twice the established norm.

Another case was uncovered at one of the city's social pavilions. There, buckwheat was purchased for 175 tenge and Akmarzhan rice for 350 tenge per kilogram. They were sold for 220 and 440 tenge, respectively. The trade markup was 25.8 percent, a direct violation of the law. Following an inspection, the entrepreneurs were fined.

In the city of Kurchatov, Department specialists discovered a repeat violation. An entrepreneur purchased Barakat rice for 480 tenge and sold it for 580 tenge per kilogram, allowing for a 20.9 percent markup. A fine of 19,660 tenge was imposed for the violation.

The Department also reminds that every retailer is obligated to ensure accurate and up-to-date price tags on store shelves. Violations of these requirements are regularly recorded. Since the beginning of the year, 17 administrative fines have been issued for missing price tags, incorrectly indicating prices, or indicating prices in currencies other than tenge. The total fines amounted to 480,000 tenge.

Monitoring is not limited to retail outlets. Electronic invoices are also being analyzed in conjunction with the State Revenue Committee. This mechanism allows for tracking the movement of socially important goods, identifying unnecessary intermediaries and unjustified price increases.

Containing prices for essential goods is a priority of state policy. According to Article 9 of the Law "On the Regulation of Trade Activities," the trade markup on socially important food products must not exceed 15 percent. Violations are punishable by administrative penalties under Article 204-4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For small businesses, the fine is 5 MCI, for medium-sized businesses 35 MCI, and for large businesses 150 MCI. For repeat violations, the fine doubles.

Since the beginning of the year, the Department of Trade and Consumer Protection of Abay Region has issued 119 administrative decisions totaling 856,000 tenge for exceeding the trade markup by 15 percent. Monitoring efforts will continue to ensure the availability of essential goods and protect the rights of residents of the region.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mti/press/news/details/1109737?lang=kk