STO Moves to Keep Ramadan Food Prices Stable, 23 Essential Items Under Monitoring

With Ramadan approaching, the State Trading Organization (STO) has announced measures to ensure uninterrupted supply and stable prices of essential food items across the country, aiming to ease financial pressure on households during the holy month.

Speaking to Maldives Business Review (MBR) on Tuesday, STO’s Media Coordinator Shifla Ibrahim said the company will closely monitor and regulate the prices of 23 essential food items to keep them affordable for the public. She added that efforts are underway to make updated price information easily accessible through STO’s official website, enhancing transparency for consumers.

According to Shifla, STO will determine reasonable pricing by taking prevailing market rates into account, ensuring fair competition while preventing unnecessary price hikes during Ramadan. The initiative is designed to balance affordability for consumers with sustainability for suppliers.

The list of monitored items includes a range of commonly consumed fruits, vegetables, and staple products such as bananas, apples, oranges, limes, passion fruit, mangoes, papayas, watermelons, chilies, grapes, red onions, ginger, carrots, eggplants, sweet potatoes, garlic, potatoes, cabbage, pumpkins, beans, yellow lentils, chicken, eggs, and coconuts, items that see increased demand during the fasting month.

To streamline distribution and maintain steady supply, STO will establish dedicated wholesale centers in key locations, including Male’ City’s industrial area near the North Harbor and within the industrial zone of Hulhumale’. In addition, the company plans to extend these services to 11 regions across the country, ensuring that price stability and availability are maintained beyond the capital.

The move comes as demand for food items typically rises during Ramadan, with households increasing purchases for Iftar and Suhoor preparations. By strengthening monitoring mechanisms and expanding distribution networks, STO says it aims to provide reliable access to essential goods at fair prices throughout the holy month.