ArmInfo. The State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC) of Armenia reports that there is no dominant economic entity in the meat market. The State Commission stated in response to publications in the media and social networks on raising prices for a number of agricultural goods in major supermarkets in the capital.
As SCPEC noted, the Commission, within its authority, exercises control exclusively over the dominant commodity markets. The Office reports that there is no economic entity in the meat market that occupies a dominant position. "This market is considered competitive, with a low concentration level, where market mechanisms operate under price regulation," the ministry said in a statement.
Nevertheless, taking into account consumer concerns, SCPEC conducted studies in large supermarkets. "The monitoring group of the Commission did not fix the price changes, and consumers can buy meat at the same price." As for short-term price increases last week, it was entirely due to tax administration, and similar tasks are beyond the mandate of the SCPEC, "the agency noted.
It should be noted that last week, after the NSS of Armenia uncovered very sophisticated mechanisms of tax evasion in a large retail network, and the government announced plans to bring all economic entities' activities into the taxable field, supermarkets noted price increases for a number of goods. And then the heads of 11 retail networks sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, expressing concern about the possible risks associated with the further functioning of the points of commerce in the light of the SRC inspections and the requirement to work within the framework of the law. Nevertheless, independent experts saw this in the notes of blackmail and sabotage by large supermarkets, while Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on his Facebook page that he personally walked through a number of shops to check the price increase for goods. "I went through several shops, everything is normal, some of them overestimate themselves," Pashinyan wrote.