A government Commission that controls food inflation this year will meet and prepare analytical materials once per quarter, and not monthly as in 2016. This is explained by the stabilization of prices and lower pace of growth. Now the situation does not require so much attention, officials say.

This year the governmental Commission on monitoring and promptly responding to changes in the food market will not work as actively as in the past. This follows from the action plan of the Commission for the first half. Last year in the agenda of the Commission question "on the current situation in potrebenko food products" and price situations in some markets stood on a monthly basis, and in the first half of this year, only once a quarter in March and June.

According to the Ministry, the price of food last year grew nearly three times slower than in 2015. For 2016 year prices rose by 4.9% a year earlier and 13.8%.

The transition to quarterly monitoring of prices of monthly and confirms the minutes of the last meeting of the Commission in December last year. It States that the Ministry of industry and trade and the Ministry of agriculture mandated to "continue monitoring the price situation on the food market and the market of agricultural products" and the results are to be reported to the government quarterly. The Ministry of industry and trade was instructed to go to use the Rosstat data in the reports. At the same meeting was approved the work plan for the first half of 2017.

The General Director of Agency of political and economic communications Dmitry Orlov agrees with the government that in the operational monthly monitoring of food prices is no longer necessary.

"The reason is obvious – a reduction of inflation. This year it is expected to the lowest in recent history. Furthermore, the court was quick to react to price collusion on the market, they have become much less", — said Oreshkin.

In 2017, the Central Bank expects inflation at around 4%.

It is noteworthy that the rise in food prices has become less a concern not only officials, but also the Russians themselves. According to VTsIOM, in December 2016, inflation and rising prices were the fifth most important issue noted by the population (it indicated 13% of respondents). In December 2014 this issue was put on the first place (26%).

Photo: flickr.com