YEREVAN. – All those entrepreneurs, who unfoundedly raised the price of goods against the backdrop of the fluctuating exchange rate between the US dollar and the Armenian dram, must be punished.

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Hovik Abrahamyan, told the above-said to reporters on Thursday, and following his surprise visits to the supermarkets in capital city Yerevan.

“Our relevant agencies are touring the stores. The [price] hikes should be corresponding to the percentage of the fluctuations in the dollar-dram exchange rate. But there were times when the product [price] had increased by 30 percent, rather than going up by 10-13 percent,” the PM said.

In his words, the government has set up an independent commission, which is studying the market abuse so that all offenders will be punished under the law.

“I’m convinced that the people came to understand that you can’t play with the fortune of our people,” the Premier noted.

Abrahamyan said that the exchange rate of the dram is stabilizing and the exploiters will be punished.

“[But] there real exchange rate will be next week. We can’t make any intervention. We are trying to make everyone abide by the law,” Hovik Abrahamyan said adding that Wednesday’s financial shock was groundless.