Commerce Ministry confirms enough supplies, bans raising prices

The Ministry of Commerce and Investment confirmed that Saudi Arabia has a great abundance of goods and a high level of inventory, following the curfew ordered by King Salman which started on March 23.

The ministry teams have conducted 3,100 inspection rounds, while the call center received 3,300 claims in 24 hours, half of which were complaints related to hiking prices of vegetables, masks and sanitizers, Abdul Rahman Al Hussein, the spokesman of the ministry said.

“Price increase or manipulation is a red line, and the ministry will take necessary measures in this regard,” he stressed during the daily press brief on the coronavirus.

The curfew ordered by King Salman across Saudi Arabia came into effect on Monday evening from 7pm to 6am, and will last for 21 days to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease, according to data compiled by Argaam.

Some facilities were excluded from the curfew including the food sector (points of sale) such as catering and supermarkets, poultry, vegetables and meat shops, bakeries, food factories and laboratories.

The inspection teams of the ministry of commerce are operating during the curfew to ensure enough food supplies and detect potential frauds across the Kingdom.