The government has formed a package of measures to combat high food prices

The government is proposing a number of measures regarding prices. This was stated by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov at a briefing after an extraordinary meeting at the Council of Ministers, which was dedicated to the topic of food prices.

One of the measures is the elimination of fees that chains impose on farmers to sell their goods.

Another measure is legislative changes to limit resellers, BTA reports. The National Revenue Agency will analyze the activities of retail chains - how many intermediaries there are and who charges what markup, Zhelyazkov said.

Other ideas discussed are the prevention of deferred payments, unilateral incentives that lead to price increases.

Unfair trade practices will be established. The parliament should quickly change the composition of the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC), because the activities of this body are important for regulating the market, the prime minister said.

When there is simmering tension, it is expressed in various forms, one of which is the boycott, he also said.

There is a strong sensitivity in society on the topic of price increases. There is obviously a problem in the supply chains and these practices must be established by the authorities. There are laws and institutions in this country and they must work, the prime minister said, even before the start of the extraordinary cabinet meeting.

Price dynamics is something that should be commented on both in the context of inflation, but also in the context of consumers' perception of price increases for basic products in the consumer basket. As a government, we will not get carried away by populism, but we will do what is necessary for the normal functioning of the market, Zhelyazkov said.

 

He added that all elements of the agri-food chain, all elements from production to consumption, which are price-forming and can lead to distortion of the final price for the consumer, which affects every Bulgarian, will be clarified.

 

According to him, there is clearly a problem in the supply chain and this is due to practices that should be established by the antimonopoly authority, the National Revenue Agency and customs.

 

The endless number of intermediaries affects both producers and consumers. We will analyze the problems and possible solutions in the executive branch and proposals to the legislative branch, Rosen Zhelyazkov also indicated.

 

Prices are a function of the market. We will not take administrative measures that will distort the market, but we will adopt measures that will support fair pricing with clarity about what is happening throughout the chain. There are laws and institutions in this country and they must work, the Prime Minister indicated. Law enforcement is our task and responsibility, he added.