Ministry of Trade: Comprehensive Inspections Conducted Nationwide Following Minimum Wage Increase to Address Unjust Price Hikes

The Ministry of Trade reported that comprehensive inspections were carried out nationwide yesterday under the scope of unfair price increases following the announced minimum wage increase for 2025.

The announcement stated: "Following our warning to the public yesterday to prevent unfair price increases under the guise of the minimum wage rise, comprehensive inspections were conducted on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, by our 81 Provincial Trade Directorates across the country. In these inspections: A total of 102,590 products were examined in 1,283 markets across 81 provinces, and violations of regulations were identified in 1,403 of these products. As a result of the identified violations, a total administrative fine of 2,830,897 TL was imposed. Additionally, proceedings were initiated against 763 businesses on suspicion of unfair price increase. After the defenses of these companies and related documents are referred to the Unfair Price Assessment Board, administrative fines of up to 1,000,000 TL will be imposed on the relevant businesses following the results of the subsequent inspections. • The most intensive inspections were carried out in the provinces of Istanbul, Antalya, and Ankara. • In Istanbul, 201; in Antalya, 117; and in Ankara, 57 markets were inspected; a total of 25,258 products were examined in Antalya, 20,021 in Istanbul, and 19,826 in Ankara. • The provinces where the most violations were detected were Istanbul, Ankara, and Elazığ, while the highest amount of fines was imposed in Istanbul, Ankara, and Bursa. • The provinces with the highest number of firms under suspicion of unfair price increase were Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya. As a Ministry, we are resolutely continuing our inspection activities in the field with the teams from our 81 Provincial Trade Directorates. We meticulously evaluate the complaints of our citizens and promptly intervene against any initiatives that disrupt market order and aim to generate unfair profits. The heaviest penalties will be applied within the legal framework against practices of unfair price increases, and an uncompromising stance will be demonstrated in protecting the economic rights of our citizens. Our inspections will continue with the same determination to ensure a fair market order and safeguard the welfare of our citizens."