The government has ordered all baby milk importers to place price tags on their containers. The measure is aimed at tackling price differences at pharmacies and supermarkets despite milk being subsidized by the government. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has asked the Ministry of Finance, in a letter this week, to ensure the new regulation is enforced, according to a report in Al-Watan Arabic daily. Saleh Al-Khalil, undersecretary for consumer affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, told Al-Watan that the ministry has received several complaints from consumers about the situation. Al-Khalil said the ministry's inspectors also found different milk prices. “The ministry immediately sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance to put an end to these price differences.” Al-Khalil said there are price differences because of the large number of milk importers that pay manufacturers different amounts. Baby milk is a government-subsidized product, yet Al-Watan found different prices for the same product on the local market.
