In an article entitled: "The price is the same everywhere", Sanobar Ochilova, official from the central Tashkent regional directorate for demonopolization, competition and business support, says that "Uzbekistan is keeping the prices of flour and flour products down despite a worldwide rise in the prices of these products".

Answering a reader’s question as to what was the fixed price for bread in Uzbekistan, Ochilova also detailed the fixed prices for bread, flour, and cottonseed oil in the country. She said the fixed price for "a kilo of unpackaged cottonseed oil is set at 1,300 soums, for packaged cottonseed oil at 1,670 soums; for a kilo of the supreme grade flour at 445 soums, for first grade flour at 315 soums, for second grade flour at 290 soums, for the Ozbekiston grade flour at 300 soums; for a first grade 600-gram-bread at 200 soums, for a second grade 600-gram-bread at 180 soums, and for a 500-gram brown bread at 170 soums".

Ochilova also criticized some "dishonest sellers" for selling these foodstuffs at higher prices and said that "31 lawsuits have been brought against" some factories, private firms and businessmen over such cases.

In conclusion, she also urged the consumers to call the directorate’s helpline if they witness a rise in the prices of these products.

The current official exchange rate is 1,285 soums for one dollar.

Source: BBC Monitoring