Without price ceiling yet, milk businesses have found ways to circumvent the law?

Currently, no milk company has reduced the price. Some companies have reduced the weight of the milk carton but the price has not decreased, it has even increased.

Regarding the price ceiling for powdered milk for children under 6 years old, the Ministry of Finance affirmed that it will soon reduce the price of this product and gradually stabilize it. However, while the price ceiling has not been implemented, some dairy enterprises are preparing to launch new products, change designs, reduce weight... Many opinions expressed concern about enterprises circumventing the law when forced to implement price ceilings.

Milk shop employee on Ngoc Lam street, Long Bien

Although the price of a 900g box of Abbott Pedia Sure B/A milk is not cheap, for more than a year now, Ms. Le Phuong Ninh, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, has still tried to save some money to buy it for her child to drink. Before the news that Abbott will soon release a new model of this product, with a weight of only 850g, but the price is still high, Ms. Le Phuong Ninh said: "Seeing that the milk company has a trick to reduce the weight of the milk, like Abbott milk reduced from 900g to 850g. If the price of milk increases, parents will still have to try to buy milk for their children."

The Ministry of Finance is determined to implement a price ceiling on milk products for children under 6 years old, in order to reduce prices and stabilize the milk market. However, according to a reporter's survey, at milk stores on Hang Buom Street (Hoan Kiem), Tay Son Street (Dong Da), Doi Can Street (Ba Dinh), Ngoc Lam Street (Long Bien)..., it shows that no milk company has reduced its selling price. All products are still sold at the price increase since after Tet.

Specifically, the Dielac Alpha Step 1 box (for babies from 0-6 months old) 900g is still sold at 235-239 thousand VND. Dielac Alpha 123 box is from 208-210 thousand VND/900g box. Friso Gold 1 488g milk costs more than 480 thousand VND/box. Meiji Gold1 900g milk costs 460 thousand VND/box. There are even businesses "demanding" an increase. Specifically, 3A Nutrition Company Ltd. proposed to increase the selling price of Abbott milk by about 5% and the Ministry of Finance did not approve this proposal.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Hai, owner of a milk shop on Nguyen Son Street, Long Bien, Hanoi, said: “My shop has not seen any milk companies announce plans to adjust prices. Recently, Abbott announced a change in weight from 900g to 850g, but the selling price has not changed, even increased. This time, many customers came to buy this milk, but mainly bought the old model.”

According to economic experts, under pressure to use maximum prices for powdered milk products for children under 6 years old, it is not uncommon for dairy companies to find ways to circumvent the law by changing the design and then increasing the price of the product, or reducing the weight to avoid having to ask for permission when increasing the price. Basically, with these tricks, businesses still maintain high profits and the disadvantage still belongs to consumers.

Economist Nguyen Minh Phong analyzed: “Faced with the pressure of price ceilings, many businesses can have many ways to cope. Among them, the familiar way is to reduce weight. The State does not intervene too deeply in forcing them to pack how much, the problem is to closely check the selling price and weight to ensure that the price ceiling is applied correctly, the price is guaranteed to be applied according to common standards and must be calculated according to specific weight and quality. The task of the authorities is to closely check, identify and prevent negativity, ensuring the State's management goals.”

Up to this point, the Ministry of Finance has only issued a policy but has not provided specific information on how the price ceiling for milk products for children under 6 years old will be implemented. Economic experts recommend that the price ceiling for milk must also balance the interests of the State, businesses and consumers to be implemented.

However, even when the price ceiling is applied, it is still necessary to strengthen inspections of illegal activities and behaviors, and sanctions must be really strict and clearly announced. Only then can we control the continuous increase in milk prices and ensure the rights of consumers./.

According to vov