“If the importers are many, the prices should decrease. The issue price is related to freight transport if no essential changes are in place regarding the freight transport and changes have not occurred in source markets, why should we have high prices?”, reported the Chairman of the Public Council Economic and Financial Committee Vazgen Safaryan referring to the State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition of the Republic of Armenia’s Chairman Artak Shaboyan’s statements implying that there are already many importers in the markets of banana and sugar, but the prices do not decrease relative to the issue price of the product and profitability.
Asked whether what Mr. Shaboyan had told was illogical or whether he lied, Mr. Safaryan repeated: “No, simply if there have been no changes in the freight transport if the tax code has not been altered and the taxes have not been increased, why should it be that way? If the number of banana and sugar importers has increased and it is not a monopoly, then the prices should decrease, if competition is in place within banana and sugar market, high prices or inflation are impossible, it should result in a decrease.”
As regards the inflation of cigarette prices, Mr. Safaryan opined – it is possible that the row value has increased or price change has been in place regarding freight transport: “We should examine.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
