Officials at the Ministry of Commerce have proposed adding air purifiers and vacuum cleaners to the price control list, as more consumers seek ways to reduce the effects of pollution.
The proposal is expected to be discussed on Friday by the Central Committee on Prices of Goods and Services, said Goranij Nonejuie, deputy director-general of the Department of Internal Trade.
He said the goal is to consider air purifiers and vacuum cleaners as controlled goods in light of the increased demand from consumers looking to safeguard themselves against PM2.5 dust pollution.
According to the proposed regulation, manufacturers, importers and distributors would be obliged to report on production volumes, imports, inventory levels and selling prices of the products.
This will allow for oversight of the entire value chain to ensure that pricing aligns with costs and prevents price gouging.
Prior to the PM2.5 crisis, sales of air purifiers and vacuum cleaners were sluggish, prompting producers and retailers to offer promotional discounts to stimulate consumer interest.
However, pollution concerns have significantly increased demand, leading to the suspension of promotions and a return to standard pricing, said Mr Goranij.
While there have been no significant product shortages overall, there were some temporary stock shortages due to the surge in demand.
The criteria for adding products to the price control list include their essentiality for daily use, a limited number of producers or sellers, insufficient market competition, price volatility, and occasional shortages.
As air purifiers and vacuum cleaners currently experience price fluctuations and occasional shortages, they qualify for regulation as controlled goods.
The Cabinet has approved 57 controlled products and services (52 products and five services) until June 2025.
Of these, 51 are already established controlled goods, with five new items added in 2023, which include waste and recyclable paper, face masks, alcohol-based hand sanitisers, chicken, and polypropylene synthetic fibre for mask production.
In 2024, sugar was added as a controlled product.
If the cabinet endorses the proposal for the additional items, the total number of controlled products and services will expand to 59, consisting of 54 products and five services.
