Consumer advocates demand continued monitoring campaigns to confront the wave of high prices

Agadir24

The wave of high prices continues, affecting a group of vital consumer goods, which raises the concerns of Moroccan citizens who are always seeking effective solutions to contain the “price hikes.”

After appealing to the Competition Council to intervene to put an end to practices that eliminate fair competition and lead to monopoly and price increases, those affected by the high prices believe that it is necessary to continue the monitoring campaigns carried out by the committees responsible for monitoring prices and the quality of food products.

They stressed that the work of the aforementioned committees should continue throughout the year, not only on special occasions, betting on their role in monitoring prices and limiting their exorbitant prices.

In contrast, consumer advocates believe that there is a “misunderstanding” among Moroccan citizens about the law regulating freedom of prices and competition, considering that what determines prices exclusively is “free competition.”

They explained that “what these committees must do is monitor the advertising of prices, as it is one of the most effective ways to reduce prices,” while “the first and last word remains with the consumer who holds the boycott paper.”

In response to this issue, Bouazza Al-Kharati, President of the Moroccan Association for Consumer Rights, revealed that “the composition of the aforementioned committees remains fundamentally illegal,” stressing that “all institutions represented in these committees should have their own committee and monitor the market in accordance with the roles assigned to them.”

Al-Kharati stressed that “the role that the Ministry of Interior can play through any committee related to the issue of high prices is to monitor the advertising of prices in the markets,” while “no committee can monitor prices, regardless of whether it is a temporary monitoring or throughout the year, because freedom of prices is guaranteed by the law related to freedom of prices and competition.”

The spokesman stressed that “what Moroccan consumers must do to reduce the current wave of inflation is to exercise the right to choose guaranteed by Law 31.08 defining consumer protection measures,” noting that “some Moroccan consumers are not aware of this right, because the success of a boycott of one product can lead to a reduction in the prices of other products.”

The human rights activist concluded that “sending special committees by the Ministry of Interior’s economic affairs and coordination departments to monitor prices, not rates, in Moroccan markets on a permanent basis, could contribute to reducing the prices of basic materials,” but “the first and final word remains with the Moroccan consumer.”