Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin instructs to ensure strict control over stability of prices for socially significant food products

At a government session chaired by Prime Minister Askar Mamin, issues of price regulation for socially important goods as well as the provision of food were considered.

Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov reported on the ongoing work on monitoring prices and measures of response, Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov reported on food provision, Akim of Akmola Region Yermek Marzhikpaev, Akim of North Kazakhstan Region Kumar Aksakalov, Akim of Nur-Sultan Altay Kulginov spoke on the prices in regions.

This year, under the prevailing conditions, the government and akimats adopted a set of measures to ensure production, storage and supply of products to all regions. Limiting prices for socially significant goods have been established, the practice of soft loans to retail chains has been expanded through a “reverse scheme” with an obligation to contain prices. Measures of state support were provided to agricultural producers, including the introduction of a forward purchase mechanism — 24.5 billion tenge were allocated, 159 agricultural producers were selected for the purchase of 516.9 thousand tons of agricultural products.

The prime minister emphasized that the measures taken made it possible to stabilize the rise in prices for socially significant goods at 4.4%, which is two times lower than last year's indicators (8.7%). The head of government gave the example of the city of Almaty on price stabilization, where work was quickly carried out to allocate funds for the ‘reverse scheme,’ which made it possible to ensure timely replenishment and expand the list of socially important goods purchased for stabilization funds.

“The adoption of timely preventive measures by akimats will ensure the stabilization and containment of prices. We are purposefully working to reduce import dependence. There is no reason to raise prices. Tight control over price stability for all types of socially significant goods will be ensured,” Mamin said.

The head of government instructed the Ministry of Agriculture, together with akimats, to continue monitoring the external situation and the sufficiency of food supplies and the stability of prices for socially important goods, to work out the issue of expanding the mechanism of concessional loans to retail chains through the ‘reverse scheme,’ as well as the practice of forward purchase to ensure price stability for socially significant goods.

Akimats were instructed to ensure, as a priority, the implementation of projects to increase the production of import-dependent goods (sugar, fruits and vegetables, etc.).

The prime minister drew the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture and regional akims to the inadmissibility of price increases for products provided by domestic production, in particular for potatoes, flour, carrots and buckwheat.

“Ensuring the availability and quality of food is one of the main factors in the quality of life of Kazakhstanis,” Mamin said.

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