Kadyrov criticizes rise in prices before Eid al-Fitr

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has called on sellers not to raise prices for goods before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. He has compared to drug dealers the entrepreneurs who raise the prices on the eve of the holiday. For the republic, the rise in prices during Ramadan has become a chronic problem.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that residents of Chechnya have repeatedly complained about rising prices on the eve of Eid al-Fitr. In 2022, residents of the republic said that food prices increased both in stores and in markets.

Ramzan Kadyrov has called on sellers not to raise prices for goods on the eve of Eid al-Fitr. “Such behaviour is dishonest and negatively affects the financial condition of people ... It is important that sellers follow ethical principles and do not abuse their power over prices,” the “Grozny-Inform” quotes Ramzan Kadyrov as saying.

The authorities of Chechnya are not able to restrain the rise in food prices, notes Ruslan Kutaev, the president of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations. “The authorities may not set prices for food products,” Ruslan Kutaev explains.

The authorities of Chechnya may benefit from the increase in prices, suggests Svetlana Gannushkina*, the chair of the “Civic Assistance Committee”*. “Nobody is interested in the problems of ordinary, poor people, towards whom they should do charity work,” the human rights defender emphasized.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.