Consumers are breathing a sigh of relief with the news that King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Mosques, has ordered the subsidy on fodder to be increased by 50 percent. They will now wait anxiously for this measure to translate into lower meat and poultry prices. Producers will no doubt also welcome the move because it helps with production costs. This all comes at an opportune time for hard-pressed consumers, reeling over the high cost of everything from fruit to high-end electronic products. Many consumers have laid the blame for this on greedy merchants who not only wanted to tap into the money given to citizens earlier this year as part of the King's generous cash hand-outs, but also take advantage of the upcoming month of Ramadan. It will also help to put to rest the bitter fight consumers have had with dairy producers over the sudden, unexplained rise in laban and other dairy products. Some are warning, however, that along with this initiative, government should ensure strict monitoring of the country's markets to ensure that no one tries to manipulate prices by hoarding barley, livestock or overcharge customers for other essential items. They are rightly calling for stiff penalties for those who do so, especially with the coming of Ramadan when citizens and expatriates alike spend more on food. For the time being, it is expected the price of barley will now drop to between SR30 and SR35 a bag, from as high as SR60. This would reduce the price of livestock. A welcome consequence of the King's decision has been the move by Al-Watania to use the entire subsidy amount to reduce prices of their meat, poultry and laban products. The King has made it clear that businessmen and merchants should be responsive to citizens' needs and demands. He said they should not forget that they are following the Islamic Shariah which prohibits cheating and swindling. The Ministry of Interior has also rightly warned those who tamper with prices and are involved in hoarding, that firm action will be taken against them. The King and the government should be commended for this timely intervention. It will definitely help consumers, especially those working class families who are struggling to make ends meet every month. __
