FLOUR PRICE GOES DOWN, BUT DOESN’T AFFECT PASTRY
A1+
[01:36 pm] 25 November, 2008
Despite official data according to which the price of flour has gone
down by a minimum 22%, it hasn’t affected prices for buns and pastry.
Based on the results of the monitoring conducted by the State Economic
Competition Protection Commission, a reduction in bread and flour
prices was registered in mid-October.
Whereas a 50 kilogram bag of flour was sold from 12,700-13,500 drams
in August, now it is sold at 10,000 drams; in other words, the price
has gone down by 22-25.9%.
"If the price of flour goes down, why shouldn’t the price of buns
and pastry go down? Are they kidding us? There has to be rules and
regulations for prices," said shopper Mariam.
To compare, if the raisin bun was sold at 50 drams, it is now sold at
60-70 drams after the rise in the price of flour. Store clerks say that
different people bring the buns and pastry from different production
units and homes and they fix the prices. The store can’t do anything
about it. "We benefit from that as well. Let them bring it to us cheap
and we will sell it. In that case, we will have more customers and
the products will be fresher and sell faster," says store clerk Anahit.
Press speaker for the State Economic Competition Protection
Commission Armine Udumyan told "A1+" that the bun and pastry market
is a competitive market where there are thousands of businesses,
individual businessmen and a lack of large businessmen.
"Thus, it is nonsensical to talk about economic competition or law
enforcement in that market," said Udumyan.
As far as the rise in prices of macaroni are concerned, Armine Udumyan
said that that is a market under monitoring and there are types of
macaroni with reduced prices.