Despite left and right pronouncements by the Kuwait Union of Cooperative Consumer Societies (UCCS) that there will be no price increase in food items, especially come Ramadan, the prices seen on the ground says otherwise.

In Khaldiya coops, for example, the price of Nido Milk, which was around 5.560 just last Monday, finds the price tag now at KD6.120.

This particular item has also increased in various supermarket/hypermarkets throughout Kuwait. In fact, one supermarket increased the price a month back, while another supermarket increased it two to three weeks back.

The price increase also applies to other products, such as cornflakes and the likes. But according to the manager at Khaldiya Coops, even though some of their prices have increased, there are many products, mostly prime commodities, which are relatively lower in price.

“We have lots of promotions, especially at the start of Ramadan. The normal Nido milk powder, for example, costs around KD5.485; now it is at KD3.5,” the manager noted. “There are products that increase because some companies supplying our coops had increased their prices, so we cannot stay with the usual price,” he admitted.

Earlier, representatives of various coops in Kuwait confirmed that prices will not be increased, especially during the Holy Month of Ramadan. “There will not be any increase in prices this year,” said Fahad Abdulrahman, the commercial manager of the Subahiya Co-op Society in an earlier interview, which was published in Kuwait Times.

“We are always trying to help consumers, and that’s why we organize price busting campaigns before and during Ramadan, because the consumer is our main concern,” he said.

The Price Monitoring and Supervision Committee at the Cooperative Societies Union has laid down new regulations to tighten price controls and prevent price hikes, which will affect those with moderate incomes, especially in Ramadan.

A sales agent at one of the coops also admitted that they changed prices on some of their products only last night [Monday night]. “There are products that I noticed have increased relatively high. But there are many products on sale, so in a way, it can never affect weekly and monthly budgets because you will buy expensive, but other items are also reasonably lower,” she mentioned.

Ramadan is expected to start on the 20th or 21st of July. Muslims fast throughout the world during Ramadan, but consumption of food items generally increase due to the culture of sharing and giving during this period.