Economic control teams under the Ministry of Trade carried out 404,000 inspection operations during the first 8 months of 2023, reporting 58,000 infringements, said Director General of Competition and Economic Investigations Houssem Eddine Touiti on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference, he explained that the infringements mainly consisted in speculation and price rises (36%). 79% of infringements involved trade in agricultural and food products. Since the beginning of the year and up to the end of August, inspection teams have seized 2,880 tonnes of vegetables and fruit, 762,000 eggs, 8,500 tonnes of grain and by-products, 380,000 litres of subsidised vegetable oil, 331 tonnes of sugar, etc. Nearly 7,000 tonnes of grain and by-products seized in 2 months A joint economic control campaign was launched in July and August 2023 by the Ministries of Trade and the Interior, leading to the registrationg of 6,000 economic infringements. The campaign, which targeted bakeries and the distribution of food and agricultural products, resulted in the seizure of nearly 7,000 tonnes of grain and by-products, as well as a ban on the supply of flour and semolina to 52 classified and unclassified bakeries. It was also decided to change the classification of 22 bakeries and to reduce the flour quota granted to 14 other bakeries.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse