Trade Ministry sets price ceiling for some vegetables as demand soars

AMMAN — As people rushed to stores to prepare for the four-day lockdown post-elections, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Maha Ali decided on Tuesday to set price ceilings for some varieties of vegetables due to “unjustified high prices”.

The lockdown, which started on Tuesday evening and is set to extend until Sunday morning, caused a hike in demand for fruits, vegetables and commodities, with some suppliers and store owners “seizing the opportunity to raise prices”.

Ministry Spokesperson Yanal Barmawi said in remarks to The Jordan Times that 42 complaints were received regarding the “unjustifiable and exaggerated high prices in some vegetable and fruit shops, commodity stores and bakeries”.

Barmawi noted that all the complaints have been referred to the monitoring and control teams for verification and that “violations will be taken seriously by the ministry against those using these challenging times to exploit citizens”.

Rowwad Qadi, a citizen residing in Shafa Badran, told The Jordan Times that there were “queues in front of bakeries, commercial centres, vegetables and fruits stores and butcher shops.”

Qadi noted that “whether a small shop or a large commercial centre, people filled the place, usually leaving its shelves completely empty, as they expected the lockdown to go on for more than four days”.

Some varieties of vegetables witnessed a noticeable increase in price, among which were tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower and eggplant, which prompted the government to set price ceilings for them, according to Barmawi.

Price ceilings were set for tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and potatoes at 60 piasters per kilo and for eggplant at 50 piasters per kilo, starting Wednesday.

Food sector representative in the Jordan Chamber of Industry Mohammad Jitan said that the rush to bakeries continued for three consecutive days before the ban, adding that the chamber had contacted the bakery owners to ensure that the production capacity is fully operational and that the public’s needs are secured.

“Commercial markets witnessed significant consumer movement during the past three days,” Jitan said, noting that there was “strong competition between the owners of commercial centres in favour of offering discounts on basic commodities”.

“All basic commodities are available in the local market in large quantities and there is a wide range of alternatives for every commodity,” said Jitan.

Spokesman for the Civil Consumer Corporation Mohammad Qaisi also said in a statement that the corporation’s branches witnessed a “great turnout, specifically on Tuesday,” with the focus in purchases being on foodstuffs, cleaning and sterilisation products.

Qaisi noted that all commodities are available in all 67 branches of the corporation, as they are “constantly supplied with all the public’s needs at reasonable prices”.