The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) has identified unjustified price increases on socially significant food products (SSFPs) in preschool institutions of the Pavlodar region.
According to the agency's press service, in 108 out of 158 kindergartens in the region, one limited liability partnership (LLP) is the main supplier.
In contracts with preschool institutions, the price difference from the manufacturer to the end consumer for SSFPs was:
- sunflower oil – with a markup of 286% (453 tenge/litre vs 1300 tenge/litre);
- buckwheat groats – 150% (240 tenge/kg vs 600 tenge/kg);
- sugar – 93% (325 tenge/kg vs 630 tenge/kg);
- chicken eggs – 79% (430 tenge/dozen vs 770 tenge/dozen);
- salt – 66% (60 tenge/kg vs 100 tenge/kg);
- rice – 36% (490 tenge/kg vs 670 tenge/kg);
- butter – 22% (2075 tenge/kg vs 2550 tenge/kg).
As a result, this LLP was brought to administrative responsibility. Contracts for the supply of SSFPs with preschool institutions were terminated for renegotiation at reduced prices. The amount of funds saved exceeded 30 million tenge.
Recall that in May, FMA officers identified cases of price inflation on SSFPs supplied to kindergartens in Astana. The agency achieved price reductions under contracts for the supply of food products to 21 preschool institutions. The savings exceeded 31 million tenge.
In April, the FMA reduced the purchase cost of food products in the SSFP basket in the East Kazakhstan Region (EKR). It then emerged that the State Public Institution 'Centre for Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs' of the EKR Education Department was purchasing SSFPs at inflated prices from a businessperson. As a result, the purchase price for carrots was reduced by 35% (from 325 to 242 tenge), and for cabbage (from 380 to 238 tenge) by 60%.
In April of last year, the FMA in the Karaganda region identified an excessive markup on eggs and reduced prices for potatoes. In addition, the agency identified inflated prices for sugar in Zhezkazgan, for rice in the Kyzylorda region, and for kefir in the Abai region.