The government has approved a draft decree on how inspectors will check whether a rise in the price of goods and services is economically justified, its press office said.

The method comes under Article 68n, paragraph 8 of the Consumer Protection Act. It sets out how to work out the size of a price rise and which earlier period to compare it with. Inspectors must also check whether the higher price is directly and proportionately linked to objective economic factors.

The assessment will rely on public data that can be checked and compared. The results of the checks will be documented.

The government says the method will help inspectors watch the market, spot large price deviations and check price rises that have no economic justification. It is not state price regulation. It sets no mandatory selling prices and no cap on retail markups. Traders keep the right to set their own prices, as long as they can justify them economically, and free enterprise and competition stay unchanged.

The Consumer Protection Commission (KZP) has been checking actual selling prices and trading practices since 2 October. On Monday, KZP chair Maya Manolova said the markup on some dairy products in the big retail chains reaches more than 140%.