Tunisia – Bizerte: Wholesaler banned from purchasing subsidized oil for refusing to resell it to retailers

The control units of the Bizerte Regional Commerce Directorate have decided to ban a wholesaler from buying subsidized vegetable oil, due to his refusal to resell it to fellow retailers to make it available to all customers. 

The same source clarifies that as part of the fight against monopolistic practices and speculation, especially in the sector of subsidized products, and based on the availability of information indicating that one of the food wholesalers in the centre of the city of Bizerte withheld from supplying subsidized vegetable oil to retail traders, the aforementioned trader was subjected to a cautious monitoring process, following which it became apparent that the latter hid quantities of subsidized oil in his store and issued invoices that did not correspond to reality, revealing that all the quantities supplied had expired.

In addition to the administrative procedure aimed at stopping it from sourcing this subsidized substance in the future, the regulatory authorities seized a substantial quantity of subsidized oil and drew up an investigation report for violation of the agreements of the grant.

The same source called on all citizens and the societal fabric to support the control effort accomplished, to communicate with the common control services at the local and regional level, and to report all cases of attacks on their interests and rights and breaches of the law in this regard.