In a recent inspection by the Dushanbe police, 10 meat vendors were fined for "unjustifiably raising prices" ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday, the press center of the Dushanbe Police Directorate reports.
The report did not specify which bazaars the vendors were operating in, how much the prices were inflated, or the exact amount of the fines imposed. However, it was noted that all the vendors took advantage of the situation to make financial gains.
According to the Dushanbe Police Directorate, protocols were drawn up against the vendors under Article 555 of the Administrative Offenses Code, which mandates fines ranging from 20 to 3,000 calculation indicators (one indicator now equals 75.00 somonis).
The Dushanbe Police Directorate also reminded the public that, earlier in March, prior to the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, special working groups had been set up to monitor and regulate market prices in the capital. These groups will continue their raids and inspections.
Additionally, the department noted that 80 instances of overpricing were detected in just one day during the recent inspections.
In early March, before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, special teams were set up in Dushanbe to monitor food prices. The police warned vendors at the time to adhere to fair pricing practices and cautioned that legal action would be taken against those caught inflating prices.
These inspections were conducted in response to complaints from citizens about rising prices. As a result, around 10 meat vendors were detained for allegedly raising prices without justification. At Safariyon, Mehrgon, and Sakhovat bazaars, meat was reportedly found being sold at inflated prices, such as 95-100 somoni per kilogram instead of the standard 75 somoni.