THE GOVERNMENT has to take action against the “high prices and profiteering” in Cyprus, at a time when global prices on basic items and fuel are falling, said EDEK and DISY deputies yesterday.
Opposition party DISY’s Lefteris Christoforou yesterday called on the government to emulate the policies and measures taken in other countries to protect the Cypriot consumer from high prices.
“It’s unprecedented that during a period where prices of raw materials like fuel, and basic items around the world are dropping, in Cyprus, the products on the shelves remain as high as when fuel was being sold at $140 a barrel,” said Christoforou.
The DISY deputy blamed the government for leaving Cyprus an “unprotected consumer society”.
EDEK’s Georgios Varnavas echoed similar sentiments, saying: “It is unthinkable that while global fuel prices the last few months range between $45 and $60 a barrel, gas prices, basic items like bread, milk and various services remain as high as when fuel prices were between $145 and $150.”
He called on the government to create a new post for a Consumer Commissioner, saying its arguments that the post was not needed had failed to convince anyone. If it failed to act, then the socialist party would push forward its own proposed legislation submitted in parliament on the creation of the new post.
“The existence of cartels distorts liberalisation of the market and healthy competition,” said Varnavas. He called on the government to correct the market and protect consumers by taking legal action against high prices, profiteering and cartels.
The Famagusta deputy implored the Commerce Ministry to implement a “Name and Shame” system immediately while calling on the Committee for the Protection of Competition to prioritise its cases related to bread, milk and fuel. He also proposed that all items include labels showing their cost and sale price so the consumer can distinguish the seller’s profit on each product.
Meanwhile, the Cyprus Consumers’ Union and Quality of Life encouraged consumers to boycott bread and milk yesterday as part of a one-day protest against high prices.
The head of the consumers’ union Loucas Aristodemou said the boycott of bread and milk was one of the few tools consumer organisations have throughout the world in the battle against profiteering.
He highlighted that the campaign was not aimed against anyone in particular, but was called because prices continue to remain too high. The mentality of the consumer needs to change, said Aristodemou, calling on Cypriot consumers not to accept everything without protest.
It was not clear yesterday how successful the boycott was as some people continued to buy the basic commodities of bread and milk, but according to a poll on the organisation’s website, 99 per cent of consumers were in favour of the boycott, out of a total 182 votes.
The boycott did not have the backing of all, however. The Cyprus Consumers’ Association distanced itself from the move, saying boycotts should be considered a last resort. Perhaps another unspoken concern is the issue of credibility. If you call a boycott and consumers fail to respond, you risk undermining the notion of “consumer power”.
Lakis Savvides, spokesman for the bakeries’ association said your average Cypriot bread was sold at the lowest price in Europe, despite flour prices remaining quite high.
A spokesman for the supermarkets, Andreas Hadjiadamou, said studies showed milk and bread were sold cheaper in supermarkets and in many cases below cost.
