EL UNIVERSAL
Monday November 28, 2011 12:13 PM
Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez ordered government officials to toughen enforcement of laws to punish companies involved in speculation or hoarding.
He reported during a Council of Ministers that during the operations to monitor the implementation of the Law on Fair Costs and Prices, members of the National Guard seized 127,000 kilograms of rice; 132,000 kg of corn; 210,000 kg of powdered milk; 85,000 liters of edible oil; 246,000 kg of sugar and 10,500 kg of coffee.
He ordered monitoring Italian dairy company Parmalat, where government authorities seized 210,000 kg of allegedly hoarded powdered milk.
"(Executive Vice-president) Elías (Jaua), I expect to receive a report on the case of Parmalat and all companies involved in hoarding. We have to investigate this in depth."
He dismissed a statement released by Parmalat that the milk seized by the National Guard had been provided to the dairy company by state-run Corporation of Food Supply and Agricultural Services (CASA) for packaging and sale in stores.
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