Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has approved the composition of the working group that will monitor and respond promptly to changes in consumer prices for socially significant goods.
The corresponding order was published on the website of the Cabinet.
The group included First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, Head of the Federal Tax Service Daniil Egorov, Head of FAS Maxim Shaskolsky, Head of Rosselkhoznadzor Sergey Dankvert and head of Rosstat Pavel Malkov.
In addition, it includes Assistant Prime Minister Igor Artemyev, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government Alexei Uvarov and Director of the Department of Economic Development and Finance of the Government Vasily Toloko.
The prime minister also instructed to work out the parameters of agreements to curb food prices within 24 hours, noting that he would personally monitor the situation with prices.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to take measures on the situation with prices in the food market.
Mikhail Mishustin took this issue under his personal control, ”the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers said.
In addition, to ensure monitoring, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Ministry of Finance, will have to prepare a "road map" for the creation of a single structured directory-catalog of socially significant goods by January 15th.
This work will use the capabilities of the new online cash register system, which transmit sales data to the tax authorities in real time.
Recall that on December 9, during a meeting on economic issues, Vladimir Putin drew attention to the rise in prices for basic food products, and demanded a timely response to such situations.
The head of state noted that the increase in the cost of these goods is not associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
“Granulated sugar - the Minister of Agriculture has just reported - domestic production is sufficient to cover domestic needs.
But why did prices rise by 71.5%?
Thank God, here, as I am told, certain stabilization is taking place.
And sunflower oil - 23.8%, and continues to grow;
flour - 12.9% increased, pasta - 10.5%;
bread and bakery products by 6.3% - this is why? ", - said the President.
Putin noted that the reason is the dynamics of prices on world markets and an attempt to adjust domestic prices to match world ones, as well as to use export opportunities.
“Listen, you and I know what needs to be done in these cases.
All the tools to curb the rise in prices, at least for these items, are known, you just need to react in a timely manner to what is happening, "the Russian leader emphasized.
Later, at a government meeting, Mikhail Mishustin noted that the FAS, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Deputy Prime Ministers did not control the rise in food prices and "missed the situation."
According to him, the tendency for a number of goods to rise in price was noticeable in the fall, but the departments did not take the necessary measures.
Mishustin said that he had signed a decree on increasing duties on the export of sunflower and rapeseed seeds from Russia from the new year, which would reduce sales to other countries and curb price increases.
He also asked ministers to propose additional measures.
The prime minister also warned manufacturers and retail chains against trying to cash in on people when setting prices for products.
In turn, the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov noted that the issue of price adjustments would be resolved "very quickly."
He clarified that Putin receives information about the current situation not only from departments, but also directly from citizens who have begun to send their appeals to the head of state before the upcoming press conference.
Answering the question whether the Kremlin sees the need to restrain prices for products, including Russian producers, Peskov noted that domestic products cannot rise so much.
“Putin really said that the situation on foreign markets is different in different countries, but this situation has nothing to do with those record volumes of agricultural production in our country.
Therefore, it was Putin who emphasized that when it comes to the products of domestic producers, these products cannot rise so much in price.
Accordingly, if it rises so much, plus trade margins, then, accordingly, someone gets increased profits, "- said Peskov.
The deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov, commenting on the situation, said that there were no objective prerequisites for an increase in food prices, and suggested that a number of manufacturers, amid the pandemic, decided to get additional profit.
The deputy head of the department stressed that "no one will allow this."
“This did not happen this spring and will not happen now,” he said on the air of the Russia 24 TV channel.