Consumers are complaining that food prices are at an all-time record high and have blamed merchants for causing these increases without any kind of penalty being imposed on them. "Supervision is poor and these random price increases have gone unnoticed. This has paved the way for merchants to manipulate the prices of basic commodities and their greed has surfaced as a result," Ahmad Al Zaher, a consumer, was quoted by a local newspaper as saying. "Why aren't there any labels to display the exact price as is the case with pharmaceuticals?"
Abdulrahman Al-Murshed, another consumer, says high prices are a global issue. "If the increases imposed by merchants were the result of the high price of raw materials, this would be acceptable and we then have the right to look for alternatives as we did in the past and execute a boycott against a number of products", he added.
Another consumer, Amerah Al Mejrashi, wondered why prices for a particular product are not the same everywhere. "Personally, I think our citizens are consumers in the first place and have no intention of scrutinizing prices", she added.
"There must exist a mechanism to support basic commodities such as the Ration Card System in Kuwait, which has been successful and applicable there for more than 60 years", said Bader Al Dhakeel, a government employee.
Norah Al Abdani, another consumer, said that citizens across the Kingdom await discount season to buy necessities owing to the failure of supervisory bodies .
Experts in consumer issues say that there is a link missing between consumers and markets. "There are government bodies that indirectly control markets and increase prices", said Abdulaziz Al Khuderi, a consumer-media specialist, citing the recent increase on foreign labor fees imposed by the Ministry of Labor, of which the implications will be felt by consumers.
Economic analyst and writer Ibrahim Al Dosari explained that if the government demanded the support of merchants, it is a good sign which means that consumers will benefit, as inflation rates will not be effected as a result of further public spending. "Price increases are economically justified because inflation resulting from price increases are imported and not local," he added.
Consumers slam ‘random price hike’
