AN OFFICIAL SOURCE AT THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY MINISTRY SAID THE MINISTRY HAS BEEN FOLLOWING UP WITH A GREAT CONCERN THE REPORTS PUBLISHED IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ON THE RISE OF THE PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS. HE CATEGORICALLY DENIED THE REPORTS WHICH SAID THAT THE MINISTRY HAD NOT BEEN SHOULDERING ITS RESPONSIBILITY AS REGARDS SURVEILLANCE OF THE LOCAL MARKETS. THE SOURCE AFFIRMED THAT THE MINISTRY HAS BEEN SHOULDERING ITS RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS RESPECT. HE ATTRIBUTED THE RISE OF THE PRICES OF SOME COMMODITIES NOTABLY THE PRICES OF FOODSTUFFS TO THE SOURCES FROM WHERE THESE COMMODITIES ARE IMPORTED. "THE PRICES IN THE KINGDOM ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY CHANGES OF PRICES AT THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETS," THE SOURCE SAID. 'AS THE SAUDI MARKET IS OPEN AND FREE, THE STATE DOES NOT INTERFERE IN FIXING THE PRICES OF THE COMMODITIES WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO THE PRINCIPLE OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND', THE SOURCE ELABORATED. THE SOURCE POINTED OUT THAT THIS YEAR WITNESSED STABILITY OF PRICES OF SOME BASIC FOOD COMMODITIES AS WELL AS RISE IN PRICES OF SOME OTHER COMMODITIES.