DILI, 02 november 2023 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) carried out an inspection to control the prices of basic necessities, especially rice, during the All Souls’ Day period.
In order to control the price of basic necessities, MTI carried out an urgent inspection to make sure that no shops or retailers were manipulating the prices of basic necessities in Dili, as well as in the municipalities.
This inspection is organized to ensure that rice companies and retailers don’t sell a bag of rice for more than US$11 or US$12.
“The government will continue its inspections to ensure that the 20kg bag of rice is sold by importing companies at US$9 and that rice retailers sell it at US$10 or US$11,” said Pereira.
According to the results of the inspection, most rice shops and retailers sell rice at the established price, which is no more than US$12.
The owner of the Abdul Kader shop, Mahmudul Masan, said that he bought 100 sacks of Love Family Rice at US$9.00 per 20kg and sold them for US$9.50.
The owner of the Mei-Mart shop, Jackson Lay, thanked the government for its intervention in normalizing the price of rice to protect communities.
Some of the products on the inspection list are mineral water, salt, vegetables, fruit, etc.
Pereira said that the monitoring continues to control the prices of the basic necessities, and MTI’s team will keep its operation to monitor the prices of the basic necessities.
Authorities said that if any store or shop were found to be manipulating the prices of basic necessities, then they would be fined based on Decree-Law No.29/2011.
On september 27, the Council of Ministers approved the Government’s Decree-Law on the temporary intervention measure to stabilize the price of rice on the market by awarding a cash subsidy to importing companies.
“The price of imported rice, for sale in the warehouses of importing companies and for resale to consumers in the shops selling the most widely consumed rice, is stabilized at 50 cents per kg,” said in Government’s Press Release.
The implementation of this measure aims to help meet the population’s food needs at a more affordable price, compensate importing companies for import costs, and build up a minimum stock of 30,000 tons of rice for emergencies.
On tuesday (17/10), government signs agreements with importing companies to implement the rice subsidy to ensure the stabilization of rice prices in the country.
The signing of the agreements aimed to ensure that the price of imported rice sold in the warehouses of national rice wholesalers is set at a maximum of US$12 for each 25kg bag or parcel so that retail sales can be set at a maximum of US$50 cents for each kilogram of rice.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Filomeno Martins
