Latest: Minister on food prices, growing our own produce and what self-sufficiency means to UAE
Traders looking to increase the prices of 10 basic items in the UAE must first receive approval from the Ministry of Economy, officials reiterated.
The list of protected items includes cooking oil, eggs, fresh milk, rice, sugar, fresh poultry, bread, flour, cleaning detergent and legumes such as lentils, peas, chickpeas and beans.
A maximum profit margin for suppliers or traders for each commodity will also be determined by the ministry.
The ministry said it will establish a formal channel through which suppliers or traders can submit price-hike requests.
Each request must include an extensive report that includes details of the current prices of the items and their prices during the previous three years.
They also need to set out production costs, company budget, comparison with prices in neighbouring countries and the percentage of the increase requested.
A committee within the ministry will assess and respond to requests, it said on Sunday.
Remain affordable for families
In April, the Ministry of Economy approved a new policy to keep a check on the prices of basic consumer goods such as eggs, bread, flour and salt.
The authorities said they would be continuously monitoring 300 frequently bought basic food items and other products that people use daily.
These include seafood, meat, poultry, bread, grains, dairy, cheese, eggs, oils, vegetables and fruit, water, juice and cleaning materials.
More than 40 outlets and co-operative societies in the country are being regularly monitored to keep the prices of these goods in check.
In an interview with The National, Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said government controls on food prices will ensure shopping remains affordable for families.
Ms Al Mheiri, who oversees food security, said the country has price caps on thousands of food items.
“This is all being very closely monitored by the Ministry of Economy,” she said.
“The prices of most foods are capped here in the UAE. So there is a close control on it.”
She said supermarkets and suppliers were expected to shoulder increases in price to a point, before requesting rises if there is a case to do so.
“When it comes to a point where the traders are really, really suffering, there is a mechanism in place … where we discuss what would be acceptable to raise up as a price point," she said.
Varying prices
Residents reported contrasting prices for some of the 10 items on the ministry's list.
For example, fresh chicken is being sold at Dh15 per kilogram at one store and Dh22 at another, while a pack of 30 eggs is sold at between Dh10 and Dh12 at the Viva store in Ajman and for a minimum of Dh18 in other stores.
“It's great that the government controls price hikes of these items and I hope to see that happen across all other commodities,” said Yousif Mohammed, 50, from Jordan.
“With the surge in prices of almost all items, whether be it food or household items, we are forced to jump from one shop to another to look for cheaper prices.”
Most of the time, Mr Mohammed makes use of shop offers and discounts when choosing where buy groceries.
“When discounts are really good I take two of the same item, another way of saving the little we can save,” he said.
Al Mukhtar Bakery in Ajman sells one pack of Arabic bread for Dh3. The same size pack is sold for Dh3.15 in Nesto and for Dh3.30 in Carrefour.
“There are no intentions to increase prices at the moment. However, that is a decision to be made by the administration should it be necessary,” said Mohammad Hassan, floor manager at the bakery’s branch in Ajman.
He said it was likely to happen if the prices of flour went up like everything else.
“But owners here like to deal with the bakery as a place for the family where everyone including the customer is part of the family and make decisions based on that," he said.
