By Ma Ma - Jun 20, 2024

The state-owned Myanmar Alin newspaper reported on June 20th that field inspections of rice storage shops and pharmacies are being conducted in each state and division including Nay Pyi Daw in order to stabilize domestic rice prices and medicine prices.

According to the news, It is said that cooperative authorities conduct weekly field inspections to ensure that there are no sale and distribution of rice and medicines at high prices, stockpiles for the purpose of speculation.

“We are worry because it can lead to difficulties to buy in addition of the price not declining. Oil can’t be bought easily as before. We have to pay 1,300 kyats for a 10 kyat thar (0.163 kg) of oil in family shops in the neighborhood. We don’t get the oil purchasing card. So, we have to buy with their price. For now, I am having concerns to buy rice easily in the future,” said a house wife.

The Commodity Price Stabilization Committee under the Military Council hold frequent meetings and express various news to stabilize commodity prices, people are facing the problem of high commodity prices.

"We can eat vegetables and egg even if we can’t afford meat before. For now, we can’t even eat the vegetables enough. 3 eggs cost one thousand kyats and I don’t think the rice price and oil price are declining. We don’t buy medicine unless it is a very serious illness," said a citizen.

A pyi (approximately 2kg) of rice is costing 6,000 kyats. Medicines such as painkillers and cough remedies that are widely used are also increased by thousands of kyats, and the prices of traditional Burmese medicines have increased from five hundred kyats to a few thousand kyats, the sellers said.