Auto shops, markets-countermagnets and commodity interventions of vegetables — S. Zhumangarin held a meeting on price stabilization for socially significant food products
Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Zhumangarin held a meeting on price stabilization for socially important food products, which considered a wide range of issues, including the results of commodity interventions on vegetables in the regions and the transformation of trade markets.
According to the monitoring data of the MTI Trade Committee, most regions fit into the indicated price indicators for socially significant vegetables. However, in Astana, Shymkent, Karaganda and North Kazakhstan regions, they are implemented in excess of the established indicators.
«Many regions continue to chaotically implement price stabilization mechanisms and blur the effect of this work. In some regions, according to the contracts, the reservation is blurred for up to 5 months, while only part of the vegetable stocks are produced, and not all volumes. In Atyrau region, vegetables have been sold since September 2022 at 6 retail outlets in the city's markets without cash registers. In Almaty, it is planned to begin the dismantling of cabbage only in April. Accordingly, we will not get the results of the off—season commodity intervention here», — the acting director stressed. Chairman of the Trade Committee Aidar Abildabekov.
The volume of commodity interventions of vegetables was announced by Vice Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov.
«Since the beginning of February, the volume of potato sales amounted to 7.1 thousand tons, which is only 8.6% of the previously contracted volumes, carrots – 2.8 thousand tons (10.2%), cabbage – 2.4 thousand tons (11.8%), onions – 3.9 thousand tons (16.5%)», — he informed.
As Aidar Abildabekov noted, a trip to Tajikistan is planned next week to conclude direct contracts for early harvest between regional SEC and Tajagropromexport. At the same time, the regions of Abai, Zhetysu, North Kazakhstan and Atyrau stated that they do not need an early supply of onions from Tajikistan, and the East Kazakhstan and West Kazakhstan regions need to receive it only in May.
«Food prices are one of the main issues on the socio-economic agenda. Over the week, the growth was 0.3%. We have created stable funds to stabilize prices, but the distribution of vegetables from the formed stocks is proceeding at a weak pace. There are questions about the compliance of stocks with the declared volumes. I instruct the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct audits in all regions for the presence of vegetables and their volumes in the stabilization funds, to check the effectiveness of the SEC. The Ministry of Finance, the State Revenue Committee and and MТI should check the distribution of the formed reserves through the analysis of the data of the CRF», — Serik Zhumangarin stressed.
First Vice-Minister of MТI Arman Shakkaliyev informed about the progress of work on modernization and improving the efficiency of the largest trading markets. In particular, the Altyn Orda market forms up to 40% of the wholesale trade of the republic. The daily attendance of the market is up to 10,000 customers, the average load is 400 trucks of vegetable and fruit products, including from neighboring countries.
«Since last year, the Prosecutor General's Office, together with other bodies, has revealed many violations in all areas of the market, 30 administrative cases have been initiated. However, shadow trade continues, there are violations of fire, veterinary safety, illegal migration. Similar problems are being identified in other large wholesale markets of the country. Last Saturday we held field meetings in the major shopping markets of the capital, went all the way from car stalls to retail sales. Only during the conversation, three market owners pledged to allocate 15 outlets for free for the sale of NWPT goods. I am sure the situation is the same in other regions. This indicates that akimats are not carrying out work on price stabilization in the markets properly», — Arman Shakkaliyev said.
As part of the transfer of the markets to a civilized format, it is proposed to create "countermagnets" markets in Almaty and the Almaty region. These are Class A shopping centers that will streamline the activities of markets, reduce shadow turnover, increase tax revenues, and provide direct access to domestic producers to sales markets.
The amount of work planned within the framework of the market modernization program, which should be completed by January 1, 2023 in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent, has not been implemented due to the lack of coordination of this work. By the end of 2025, the task is to modernize 68 markets, of which 18 are in cities of national significance, and 50 in other regions. Today we have prepared a draft roadmap, step by step, with deadlines and performers, from the development of the POI to coordination with the authorized bodies. It is necessary to complete all the work on time," Arman Shakkaliyev said.
Also at the meeting, a project was presented to create car stalls, mobile outlets for the sale of social food products prepared by Kazakhstani automakers. Their advantages are independence from stationary outlets, mobility, which will significantly affect the price and availability. There is a car loan program at an affordable price, in installments, manufacturers are ready to produce the right amount. These proposals have been sent to the regions.