speculation and monopoly
- Controversy escalated over the phenomenon of multiplicity of intermediaries between farmers and the final consumer, and the role of monopolists and speculators in igniting the fire of high prices.
- Bouazza Al-Kharati, President of the National University for Consumer Rights, indicated that the price hike was caused by what he called “the laxity of the internal market due to the absence of monitoring.”
- The spokesman added that the government should urgently intervene to reduce the influence of intermediaries in the price structure and establish a national body concerned with consumption.
corporate responsibility
In his comment on the subject, Dr. Idris Al-Fina, an expert in economics, said that the rise in prices in the month of Ramadan almost becomes normal, due to speculation, monopoly, and illegal storage, and these are all seasonal behaviors that contribute to the high prices.
He added, in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”, that the excessive increase in food demand during this month creates a scarcity of a number of commodities. This is due to the rush of a number of families to purchase foodstuffs in a way that affects the supply in the market, calling for citizens’ commitment to acquiring what they need without excessive storage.
In the same context, Al-Fina stressed that high prices are a joint responsibility of economic actors, the government and families, considering that spreading awareness of the damages of inflation to society is sufficient to lead to rationalization of consumption and a relative reduction of high prices.
Monitor brokers before prices
Rashid Sari, an economist, warned that the most effective solution for controlling prices, especially for processed foodstuffs, must target the source. That is, large merchants who distribute commodities to small shops.
With regard to vegetables and fruits, the expert stressed, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that brokers must be monitored, and beaten at the hands of anyone who is proven to be tampering with prices, explaining that the price of tomatoes, for example, does not exceed two dirhams, and after passing through several brokers, it reaches With a capacity capable of reaching 6 dirhams per kilogram, this clearly reveals that middlemen raise the prices of commodities, which become far from the purchasing power of the final consumer.
Rashid Sari emphasized in his analysis that what must be done today is strict control of prices, fixing selling prices, and limiting the phenomenon of intermediaries, especially in proximity markets. He pointed out that the government is required to redouble its efforts to curb the greed of some big traders and monopolists, as well as middlemen.
government actions
- Mustafa Paytas, the official spokesman for the Moroccan government, recently stressed the need to reform marketing channels that are known for imbalances, pointing out that “this will not happen overnight, but rather requires great work in order to draft laws that address the situation and there are clear and easy marketing channels.”
- The government official admitted that there were problems, in some marketing chains, as well as multiple factors that caused the price of meat to rise. He added, “The government has taken two measures: removing fees for importing calves, and exempting value-added tax on imports, and before Ramadan, we will be in a reasonable position.”
- The Moroccan government continues to subsidize basic materials such as flour, sugar and butane gas, in addition to providing direct support to public transport professionals, to maintain the stability of transportation ticket prices.
- Continuing monitoring operations, to combat speculation and illegal storage of food commodities, in the hope of reducing prices before the month of Ramadan.
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