DUSHANBE, May 16, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Dushanbe mayor’s office has called don experts to refrain from giving hasty comments and on journalists to refrain from publishing opinions over measures taken by the mayor’s office to curb food price hikes at local bazaars.

Shavkat Saidov, a spokesman for the Dushanbe mayor’s office says unfounded comments by so-called experts that were published by some electronic media lately may deteriorate the pricing situation at Dushanbe’s bazaars.

Saidov asks representatives of media outlets “not to abuse the principles of freedom of speech when it is talked of protecting rights of thousands of consumers.”

“Taking the opportunity, the mayor’s office informs the so-called “experts” that measures taken by the municipal government to curb rise in food price at local bazaars are based on conclusions made by competent agencies monitoring Dushanbe’s consumer market and comply with the country’s legislation,” the spokesman noted.   

According to him, a 20 million interest-free loan has bee allocated from the city budget; 12 million somoni will be spent for purchasing of wheat flour from Kazakhstan, 4 million somoni will be used for creation of food stocks and 4 million somoni will be spent for purchase of meats.

We will recall that commenting on the recent detention of a number of butchers in Dushanbe for failure to comply with the municipal government’s recommendation to lower meat prices, some local experts noted that administrative measures to curb rising food prices were inadmissible and they would just exacerbate the situation.

Qudratullo Ghulomov, chief of staff of the Dushanbe police directorate, told Asia-Plus that at least ten butchers were detained and questioned in Dushanbe last week for failing to comply with the municipal government’s recommendation to lower the meet price.

Issues related to reduction in prices for some basic food products at local bazaars were a major topic of a meeting of the Dushanbe mayor’s office that took place on May 7.  Taking into account the findings of monitoring conducted at the city’s bazaars, the Dushanbe municipal government reportedly called on market traders to lower the prices they charge for flour and meats, following a spike in prices of basic food products.  Merchants running butcher’s shops at local bazaars have been recommended to sell beef at no more than 23.00 somoni per one kilogram and lamb at no more than 24.00 somoni per one kilogram.  The price of meat two weeks ago was about 21 somoni.  The beef and lamb prices rose at the end of last week to 27 and 30 somoni per kilogram, an increase of some 33 percent.