Beef prices need watching

The Consumers' Association (CA) is concerned about the current fresh beef situation which goes against consumers' interests. Despite the fact that the co-operative (KPH) has entered into an agreement with the GRTU, the CA does not agree with the KPH's decision to raise the price of local fresh beef for the consumer, particularly since local producers are subsidised.

The CA is calling for an intervention by the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment to prohibit the rise of the price of beef. The CA believes and feels that, like other ministries, this ministry ought to safeguard consumers' interests rather than just focus on the interests of producers.

It is the KPH's dominance of the local marketplace that gives producers such monopolistic powers. Indeed the government ought to make a special effort to avoid such situations by encouraging competition. This would be beneficial to consumers as well as to the respective sector concerned. It is high time that we base the liberalisation of our marketplace on standards and competition, which will inevitably be to the benefit of local consumers.

The CA also calls for the Consumer and Competition Division's intervention, particularly since this is a price-related issue and the KPH is exploiting its dominant position at the expense of consumers. In the prevailing scenario the CA will be informing the European Commission about our current market place structures which, too often, deprive consumers of what ought to be benefits of the marketplace.