MADINA: Hot drinks businesses raised prices 11 percent effective Friday, ignoring government warnings to merchants not to increase prices unjustifiably. To circumvent the regulations issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, these companies have increased the sizes of their drinking cups by 2 millimeters in an apparent attempt to show they are offering the consumer more for the extra money they will be paying. Okaz/Saudi Gazette reporters have obtained samples of the new cups. Experts say that consumers will not be fooled by this. It appears these companies want to increase water and milk and not the main ingredient, which is coffee. The ministry has employed 500 inspectors but this has apparently not acted as a deterrent because they are still going ahead with the price increase. An official source at the ministry said these merchants appear determined to circumvent the laws and royal instructions in their thirst for money. He made it clear that the ministry will assign scores of field inspectors to monitor these cafes and centers closely. They will check the ingredients of the hot drinks and the sizes of the cups to make sure that they abide by the instructions. Tough measures will be taken against violators, including naming and shaming them in the media.
