NDRC ensures market supply and price stability of important commodities
Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission issued an emergency notice, requiring the price authorities of the Yunnan Ludian earthquake-stricken area and surrounding provinces to strengthen price regulation and supervision, ensure the market supply and price stability of important commodities, and promote the smooth progress of earthquake relief and post-disaster reconstruction work.
The notice states that maintaining the basic stability of prices of important commodities and services is an important foundation for ensuring the smooth progress of earthquake relief and post-disaster reconstruction work. Price authorities in the disaster area and surrounding provinces should pay close attention to changes in prices of important commodities and services after the disaster, promptly activate the emergency price monitoring mechanism, and effectively strengthen price monitoring of daily necessities for the public such as food, medicines, drinking water, and fuel, as well as materials for post-disaster reconstruction such as building materials and agricultural supplies. In the event of abnormal price fluctuations, or if emerging and tendentious problems are discovered, early warnings should be issued promptly.
The notice requires that price authorities in the disaster area and surrounding provinces strengthen market price inspections, focusing on checking the prices of daily necessities for the public such as grain, oil, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and drinking water, as well as medicines, building materials, and other materials for disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction; resolutely crack down on price violations such as price gouging, collusive price increases, fabricating and spreading information about price increases, hoarding and profiteering, passing off inferior goods as good ones, and disguised price increases, so as to maintain normal market price order.
The notice states that when necessary, price authorities in the disaster area may, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Price Law, and after approval by the provincial-level people's government, activate temporary price intervention measures to strengthen price supervision of important materials for earthquake relief and post-disaster reconstruction and prevent sharp price increases.
The notice emphasizes that price authorities in the disaster area should work actively in coordination with other departments, use price adjustment funds to appropriately subsidize the production and circulation of important agricultural and sideline products, and promote the disaster area's prompt return to normal production and living order.