Essential Goods See Price Caps, Stronger Market Monitoring

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has directed the immediate implementation of several measures to strengthen price controls and ensure the daily supply of essential products nationwide. During a recent Council of Ministers meeting, presided over by him, the President mandated a firm stance against market speculation and unjustified price increases, which he characterized as "a crime against the people." These directives aim to protect the purchasing power of citizens and stabilize the market for crucial consumer goods.

A core component of these new measures involves the Ministry of Interior Trade developing a system to cap prices and define profit margins for vegetables, legumes, pasta, and meat, carefully considering the entire production and marketing chain. Additionally, strict regulations are to be drafted for intermediaries operating between producers and consumers, seeking to eliminate excessive price discrepancies. The Prime Minister has also been tasked with launching an immediate investigation into certain importers of meat, suspected of monopolizing supply and raising prices, as well as butchers selling imported meat at local prices.

To prevent market imbalances, a mechanism will be established to purchase and store surplus local agricultural products, reintroducing them to the market at the first signs of price changes. Daily price monitoring of essential consumer goods will be carried out by commerce directors under the direct responsibility of the Walis, ensuring localized oversight. Furthermore, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Interior Trade, and the High Commission for Digitization are to coordinate efforts to create a digital database for price control, incorporating an alert system for abnormal price hikes. This comprehensive framework is reinforced by the mandate for increased, permanent field presence from Interior Trade Ministry control teams to replace sporadic interventions with continuous market surveillance.