Uznews.net – Traders in Samarkand, in contrast to their Tashkent counterparts, have refused to sell meat at 7,000 sums per kilo and have been striking for several days.

Traders went on strike after the city administration ordered them to sell meat at 7,000 sums per kilo, which is 25% lower than the market price.

Both sellers and consumers who talked to Uznews.net said that this was dressing-window by authorities which want to create an impression of high living standards in the country pretending that prices match the population’s incomes. Many people stopped being able to afford meat a long time ago.

Buyers said that since butchers were either closed or had no meat to sell at reduced prices they had to spend hours trying to buy meat at higher prices.

Traders said that meat prices did not depend on them but on the prices of livestock which have been on the rise in recent months because of an increase in the price of forage, a decrease in pastures and so on.

Another factor is that farmers have to pay about 12,000 sums a day for selling their animals at markets.

A campaign to sell meat at reduced prices first started in Tashkent where it is sponsored by the Tashkent city police department and prosecutor’s office.

It is possible that these agencies are forced to pay butchers for selling meat at reduced prices.