Agency brief

The Competition Protection Commission (CPC) is facing intense public pressure regarding rapid, potentially artificial price increases on essential foodstuffs, medical protective gear, and hygiene products during the COVID-19 state of emergency. Citizens repeatedly allege price gouging, speculative behavior by dominant retail chains (such as Nor Zovk), and monopolistic practices in agricultural supply chains. There is a significant public expectation gap, with citizens demanding direct price controls and criticizing the commission for perceived inaction. The CPC must prioritize targeted investigations into dominant market players and clear public communication regarding its legal mandate to address anti-competitive behavior rather than general inflation.

Urgency signals

• High Extreme price gouging on medical protective gear

  Citizens report that essential protective gloves and masks are being sold at markups of up to 6000% (300 AMD vs 5 AMD), preventing compliance with sanitary rules during a public health emergency.

  Coordinate with the Market Surveillance Inspection Body and Ministry of Health to launch immediate joint inspections of medical supply distributors.

  Evidence →
• High Staple food price spikes threatening food security

  Multiple reports indicate that bread and basic grains (buckwheat, lentils) are experiencing sudden, severe price increases, which directly impacts vulnerable citizens under lockdown.

  Initiate rapid monitoring of dominant grain importers and large bakery networks to detect potential anti-competitive agreements or price-fixing.

  Evidence →

A request can support more than one focus area, so supporting counts do not sum to the submission total.

1. 01 Price gouging and artificial inflation of staple food items High First analysis period

   Supporting count not computable

   Staple foods like bread, buckwheat, lentils, and flour are seeing rapid price increases, directly threatening food security for low-income households during the lockdown.

   • · Initiate a formal investigation into 'Nor Zovk' and other major supermarket chains regarding speculative pricing of high-demand items · Within 30 days
2. 02 Speculative pricing of medical protective gear and hygiene products Critical First analysis period

   Supporting count not computable

   Unprecedented price spikes on masks, gloves, and sanitizing products prevent citizens from complying with public health mandates.

   • · Launch immediate joint inspections with Market Surveillance on medical mask and glove pricing at major pharmacies · Within 7 days
   • · Initiate a formal investigation into 'Nor Zovk' and other major supermarket chains regarding speculative pricing of high-demand items · Within 30 days
3. 03 Monopolistic pressure in agricultural supply chains Standard First analysis period

   Supporting count not computable

   Small-scale livestock producers face bankruptcy due to high feed costs and low wholesale meat purchase prices, which they attribute to market manipulation.

   • · Open a market study into the wholesale meat and animal feed sectors to identify potential anti-competitive agreements · Within 90 days
4. 04 Public expectation gap and criticism of regulatory inaction High First analysis period

   Supporting count not computable

   Public frustration is translating into direct political criticism of the commission's leadership, threatening institutional trust.

   • · Issue a public clarification explaining the CPC's mandate, active monitoring efforts, and how citizens can report anti-competitive behavior · Within 7 days

Coordination needs

• Ministry of Economy · SHARED_CASE_HANDLING

  Joint monitoring of agricultural markets, food security, and retail price dynamics of essential goods is required to separate market-driven inflation from anti-competitive behavior.

• Market Surveillance Inspection Body · SHARED_CASE_HANDLING

  Enforcement of pricing rules and product availability for medical and hygiene supplies requires joint action with market inspectors.

• Ministry of Health · SHARED_CASE_HANDLING

  Addressing price gouging on medical masks and gloves requires alignment with the Ministry of Health's pharmaceutical and medical supply policies.

What not to overweight

General macroeconomic inflation and currency-driven price increases should not be treated as antitrust violations; the CPC must avoid overextending into general price control, which is outside its legal mandate, and instead focus strictly on anti-competitive behavior and dominant market abuse.