The Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade (MIET), through the Market Inspectorate, is intensively inspecting economic operators for the immediate increase of prices of essential food products, such as edible oil, flour, sugar and others.
According to data taken from the field, yesterday some operators have emptied the shelves of food consumption oil at retail points, making the impression that there is a shortage of the product. And today they have returned this product at a price of 3.49 euros per litter. Food consumption oil was imported days ago and was initially sold at a price of 1.50 euros per litter.
These actions of traders create consumer fraud, unfair trading practice and unfair competition, therefore the Market Inspectorate is taking punitive measures and any other action prescribed by the law.
MIET has also reported the findings to the prosecuting authorities, for the investigation of criminal offenses.
MIET invites the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo to not fall prey to the manipulations of dishonest traders. Citizens do not need to be supplied with stocks of essential food products. The supply of these products is regular, but some economic operators have exploited the situation wildly, causing panic among the citizens – once hiding the goods and then returning them on shelves at a very high price.
For any fraud that may occur during purchases and in particular for prices, citizens are kindly requested to immediately notify the Department of Consumer Protection at the telephone number 0800 11000 or on the platform: https://konsumatori.rks-gov.net/
MIET also invites businesses to act legally and with conscious.
The competent bodies – MIET and the Market Inspectorate, in cooperation with the Tax Administration, Customs and the Directorate for Investigation of Economic Crimes of the Kosovo Police – are monitoring the situation and are taking appropriate measures under the law.
The situation is under control and there is no room for panic.