Correct, timely government intervention_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Correct, timely government intervention

In the beef noodle case, the government move was targeted at one of the market irregularities - the city's beef noodle restaurants' attempt to monopolize the price.

As if having foreseen what media critics would say, the price bureau of the Lanzhou municipal government made a careful investigation on the production cost of the beef noodle and the retailers' move to raise the price. The bureau said that even with the rise in the cost of raw materials such as flour, beef, oil and pepper being taken into account, the 20 percent rise in the price of each bowl "far exceeds the price rise of the raw materials".

Food prices, in the case of pork, beef, eggs and rice, have soared dramatically in recent months. It is understandable restaurant owners would raise their prices to offset the loss. In reality, however, the price rise of raw materials is all too often used as an excuse by these people to garner more profits by excessively raising the prices of their products.

Some people may argue that the increase in the beef noodle's price will go toward workers' wages who are also feeling the effects of rising prices. But I dare to assume that not a single owner has or will increase the wages of his or her employees.

And the Lanzhou authorities have pointed out that the city's beef noodle restaurant owners raised their prices simultaneously, indicating a unanimous move in price fixing.