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Russia could introduce price controls on food — report

The report said citing an aide to the Russian economic development minister, that plans are currently being considered to introduce price ceilings on sugar, white cabbage and chicken eggs

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. The Russian government could set the price ceilings in the regions for essential foodstuffs that have seen a 30% growth in prices over the last month, the Izvestia newspaper reported on Monday.

The report said citing Elena Lashkina, an aide to the Russian economic development minister, that plans are currently being considered to introduce price ceilings on sugar, white cabbage and chicken eggs.

The Russian economic development ministry is analyzing information to take the relevant decision. "Such a restriction can last for no more than 90 days and can be introduced just once in a year," Lashkina stressed.

A deputy chairman of the State Duma committee on constitutional law and state building, Sergey Ivanov said the Russian government has not ever used a possibility to introduce price controls on socially significant foodstuffs.

"The law on the basic principles of the state regulation of trade in Russia" was adopted in 2009. We gave the government a possibility to regulate prices after the crisis, and in my opinion, it’s time to introduce them," Ivanov was quoted by Izvestia as saying.

According to the governmental statistics agency Rosstat, on December 8-January 12 the average prices in Russia per kilogram of sugar grew 29.5%, and on cabbage — 52.8%.