Economic Control Operations During the First Ten Days of Ramadan in Ariana
During the first ten days of Ramadan, the economic control services of the Regional Trade Administration in Ariana recorded 567 economic violations after conducting 1,889 field inspections.
Coordination and Enforcement
- Inspections were carried out in close coordination with security forces, customs, and the National Food‑Safety Authority.
- As part of the punitive measures, five establishments were shut down:
- Three fruit‑and‑vegetable specialty stores
- Two poultry shops
These closures target vendors that repeatedly raised prices by more than 200 %, especially for agricultural and poultry products.
Scope of the Operations
“A total of 59 control teams were mobilised to intervene across every distribution channel – municipal and weekly markets, hyper‑markets, and specialised shops.”
— Sami Bejaoui, Regional Director of Trade and Export Development
The inspections focused on:
- Monopolistic practices
- Artificial price hikes
- Concealment of goods
- Misuse of subsidised products
Breakdown of Violations
| Sector | Number of Infractions |
|---|---|
| Fruits & Vegetables | 305 |
| General Food | 120 |
| Poultry & Eggs | 58 |
| Fish & Red Meat | 52 |
| Bakeries, Confectioneries & Pastries | 16 |
| Other Diverse Sectors | 16 |
Most Common Types of Violations
| Violation Type | Cases |
|---|---|
| Illegal price increase | 275 |
| Missing or incomplete price display | 161 |
| Use of illegal weighing scales | 68 |
| Refusal to sell / concealment of goods | 27 |
| Sale of products with unknown origin | 18 |
| Non‑compliance with subsidised‑product rules | 5 |
Seized Goods
The controls led to the seizure of substantial quantities of contraband and subsidised merchandise, including:
- 5.2 t of subsidised flour
- 175 L of subsidised vegetable oil
- 164 kg of family‑use sugar
- 71 kg of ready‑to‑cook chicken
- 664 kg of smuggled bananas
- 62 kg of irregularly imported apples and pears
- 1,071 units of kiwi, mango and pineapple
Expansion of Inspections (Mid‑Ramadan Onwards)
Starting mid‑Ramadan, inspections—including night‑time raids—will be extended to additional economic sectors such as:
- Leisure venues
- Clothing stores
- Confectionery manufacturing and sales
- Toy shops
- Enforcement against the sale and distribution of fireworks
“These broader checks will help protect consumers and ensure market fairness throughout the holy month,” concluded Sami Bejaoui.
Keywords: Ramadan economic controls, Ariana trade inspection, price gouging, subsidised food seizure, market regulation, consumer protection, Tunisia
