KUWAIT CITY, Aug 11: MP Mohammad Al-Huwaila has forwarded a number of questions to Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Mohammad Mohsen Al-Afasi on the role of cooperative societies in curbing the soaring prices of goods in the local market, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
Al-Huwaila pointed out the cooperative societies remain a determining factor in the recent price hike, while this scenario is still a public issue that citizens and expatriates contend with. He called on the cooperatives and Union of Cooperative Societies to activate their role in resolving the issue.
Urging the minister to present evidence that the cooperative societies and the union have been taking the necessary steps to curb the soaring prices, Al-Huwaila demanded a list of cooperatives that set up price control committees from 2007 till date.

He also asked the minister to submit copies of the reports of these committees, including the names, qualifications, experience and positions of employees in the cooperatives.
In a related development, Al-Sabah daily quoted some sources from the union as saying that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry should monitor the prices of goods in cooperatives and other markets, in addition to taking the required legal procedures against those who violate the law.
Sources said the prices of 90 items declined by 10 to 15 percent before Ramadan and all the cooperative societies have been notified on the new prices.

Meanwhile, some parties have asked the ministries of Social Affairs, Commerce and Industry to grant the Price Control Committee authority to obligate the traders to unify the prices of food items, reports Al-Seyassah daily quoting sources.
Sources clarified the current functions of the committee include monitoring prices in cooperative societies and informing the board of directors in case of discrepancies, but it has no power to compel the traders to unify the prices.  Sources said the cooperative societies have been facing a number of problems because some greedy traders have allegedly been promoting products in exchange for money, while most of them specify prices according to their whims.