According to Samat Saidallin, the deputy head of the trade and consumer protection department in the region, large-scale inspections were conducted last year aimed at identifying intermediaries who unjustifiably inflate trade prices.
During their work, specialists analyzed electronic invoices and recorded instances of exceeding permissible markups.
The results of the inspections revealed that 367 administrative offenses were identified in the region over the course of the year. The offending entrepreneurs were fined a total of more than 669,000 tenge. The primary violations concerned the unjustified price hikes on essential goods.
Monitoring showed that the price of potatoes at retail outlets in the region ranges from 105 to 125 tenge per kilogram, while at markets the cost can reach 190 to 250 tenge.
According to the agency, some traders, aware that potatoes are sold for over 400 tenge per kilogram in other regions of the country, impose markups exceeding the allowable 15%.
For instance, at one of the local markets, the purchase price of potatoes is 190 tenge, but some entrepreneurs sell them for 300 tenge.
Such actions violate established norms, and therefore the offenders are held accountable.
Starting April 1, 2025, amendments to the administrative legislation in Kazakhstan will come into effect, under which exceeding the maximum allowable trade markup will be penalized with a monetary fine rather than a warning.
The fine for small businesses will be 5 MRP (19,660 tenge), for medium-sized businesses it will be 35 MRP (137,620 tenge), and for large trading enterprises, it will be 150 MRP (589,800 tenge).
In the case of repeated violations within a year, the fine amount will increase to 10 MRP, 70 MRP, and 300 MRP.