Commerce seeks cooperation from traders to freeze prices for six months

BANGKOK: -- The Commerce Ministry has asked for cooperation from private sector to freeze prices of consumer goods for another six months to help people cope with high living cost.

The call was made when officials of the ministry’s Internal Trade Department met with retail operators to discuss production cost per unit of their goods Frida.

During the meeting, the department’s officials informed the retail operators that the government plans to continue its price-control policy until October this year and asked them for cooperation.

They told the operators that some consumer products with high production cost might be exempted from the policy but operators of such products must make a formal request to the department before they can increase the prices.

The officials also asked department stores to participate in the department’s low-cost food campaign, under which they are asked to cut prices of food in their food court by 20 percent or 5-10 baht per dish. The campaign aims to help people cope with high food costs.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/commerce-seeks-cooperation-traders-freeze-prices-six-months/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=commerce-seeks-cooperation-traders-freeze-prices-six-months

-- Thai PBS 2014-05-03

This incompetent government has been robbing the country blind for three years, and now, not for the first time, they are asking traders to pay for it. Recall that noodle vendors were asked (nay, told) to keep their prices down last year, despite the rapidly rising CPI.

How about these thieves putting all the money back into the pot that they have extracted during their time in office and then see how healthy the country suddenly becomes...!!

... invest, pay staff and DONT MAKE A PROFIT ....welcome to Modern Thailand...but dont worry the high ups will still cream off the corruption payments...

This is another non-news story. Nothing will come of this but commentary from all sides and no actionable demands or edicts or regulations.

Nothing to see here...move along....

The Commerce Ministry has asked for cooperation from private sector to freeze prices of consumer goods for another six months to help people cope with high living cost.

Or in other words, give the population the FALSE impression that there is no inflation and that the current government has done very well.

It all started with that salary hike that everyone could see would damage the country. Hiking a salary a bit is never a problem but 30% percent was sure to create inflation. Everyone with half a brain told them so but they would not listen.

so the food portions on sale will continue to get smaller and smaller

Please keep the prices down, till after the election.....

It all started with that salary hike that everyone could see would damage the country. Hiking a salary a bit is never a problem but 30% percent was sure to create inflation. Everyone with half a brain told them so but they would not listen.

no one ever managed to offer sufficient proof that the new law setting the minimum daily wage to 300 Baht was actually enforced. We only know that within a month the Yingluck government decreased Corporate tax rate from 30% to 21% or so, to help them prepare for the then still to be coming wage hike. No data on the relation of companies profitting from the Corporate Tax drop to the number of their workers involved.

Of course with the 300 Baht/day law starting 2013-01-01 no new increase has been planned or even discussed it would seem.

On the secomd of April the headline was:

The Commerce Ministry is reviewing the cost structure of cooked food as it plans to raise the recommended prices of 10 popular menu of Thai dishes by 5-10 baht due to price increase of key ingredients.

The move is aimed to ensure fairness for both producers and consumers.

Permanent secretary for Commerce Ms Srirat Rastapana said she has instructed the Internal Trade Department to review the cost structure of all cooked food, particularly those that rely on imported ingredients.

She said the ministry needs to know the real cost of cooked food since there have been complaints by consumer about higher food prices.

Some producers have added transportation cost to their manufacturing cost in a bid to hike a price of their product, she said.

According to the permanent secretary, products such as pork and cooking-oil are top on its monitoring list as their prices can affect the price of cooked food.

Meanwhile, director-general of the Internal Trade Department Mr Somchart Soithong said his department is poised to raise recommended prices of 10 popular dishes by 5-10 baht a dish as the ongoing drought has heightened prices of cooking gas, meats and vegetables."

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/prices-ready-eat-thai-menus-will-allowed-go/

Then today they want the prices cut in the food hall ???? -see OP

So what happens to the poor street vendors who are faced with even more competition as well as higher prices resulting from the drought ????

The 10 popular dishes are currently sold at 25-30 baht a dish.

This is another non-news story. Nothing will come of this but commentary from all sides and no actionable demands or edicts or regulations.

Nothing to see here...move along....

Yes as som may not know socialist,communist edits are illegal here.

However with a recession possible the real trick may be to stop prices falling