Bahrain lawmakers seek urgent government action against rising food prices

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Staff Reporter

A number of House of Representatives members yesterday submitted a proposal before the speaker highlighting the urgent need to control rising food prices.

They said it should be treated as a matter of urgency amid the Holy Month of Ramadan fast approaching. The proposal was submitted by lawmakers Ibrahim Al Nafi’i, Zainab Abdel Amir, Khalid Buanq, Muhammad Buhamoud and Youssef Al Thawadi.

Ibrahim Al Nafi’i said he is submitting the proposal after receiving complaints from many citizens over the price rise of basic food commodities.

“This noticeable rise is a major cause of worry for many citizens as Ramadan is fast approaching,” the lawmaker said.

He urged the government to take immediate action as an unjustified price rise could harm the citizens, who are already hit by the pandemic for the past two years.

“The competent authorities must step in to arrest this price rise or else it could do harm to the citizens.” During the beginning of the New Year, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism issued a warning to shops against raising the prices of basic food commodities without justification.

In a statement, the ministry also warned against taking undue advantage of the Value Added Tax rate adjustment, which came into force this year, and excludes 94 “basic food products.

The ministry has said that it would take immediate measures against violators.

The prices of Saudi dairy and juice products went up between 15 and 40 per cent in the Kingdom during the beginning of the New Year due to a reported increase in production costs.

Last September Saudi companies had raised milk, laban, and yoghurt prices following a decision by the Cabinet of Saudi Arabia to scrap 50pc subsidies for dairy companies.

The government has been pledging zero tolerance towards those who illegally and unethically take advantage of the current exceptional circumstances to compromise Bahrain’s food security or to manipulate the markets to hike prices.

It also warned that those who seek to influence the prices of products in any way would be referred to criminal courts where they would face prison terms of up to five years and fines of at least BD5,000 in addition to the confiscation of the products.

The Public Prosecution earlier launched an investigation after Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism inspectors reported they discovered three warehouses where large quantities of vegetables and fruits had been stocked to manipulate the market and inflate prices