The fines imposed on companies in 2023 for profiteering amount to 12.8 million euros, according to the data submitted to the Parliament by the competent Minister of Development, Kostas Skrekas.
Responding to a topical question by PASOK – Movement for Change MP, Giorgos Nikitiadis regarding the disgraceful profit, the Kostas Skrekas said that in 2023, 25,267 checks were carried out, 1,865 violations were found, fines of 12,806,000 euros were imposed and 10,149,000 euros have been confirmed or paid, i.e. a percentage that exceeds 80%.
And of course, he noted, the rest of the fines that have been imposed recently will also be confirmed, (while) there is a time delay of regarding two months until it is seen whether the fines will be paid by the companies with excesses or they will finally be confirmed to the tax office for collection .
Mr. Skrekas also filed proof of payment from Jacobs, €1 million, from Procter & Gamble, also €1 million, and Unilever’s certification decision “so that you can see that the fines are both imposed and collected by the Greek State, and this is a deterrent for them to repeat this tactic.
Elaborating on his question, Mr. Nikitiadis said that the government, despite repeated questions from his party, does not inform regarding the products on which the fines were imposed on the companies. Say, what are these products, or bring us the findings of the Interagency Market Control Unit (DIMEA), said Mr. Nikitiadis.
In response, the Minister of Development criticized PASOK, that unlike other forces, such as SYRIZA, the New Left and KO Spartates, did not vote for the latest measures that lead to a reduction in the prices of baby milk, detergents, personal hygiene products , and baby diapers.
For his part, Mr. Nikitiadis explained that PASOK did not vote for the relevant amendment, because “you wanted us to vote, together with the percentage of the reduction in infant milk, and the 135,000 euros of direct assignments, which you wanted us to authorize you to do with the DIMEA”.
He also insisted on the question of the description of the infringements that the government does not want to mention the products on which the fine was imposed.
In his reply, Mr. Skrekas said that “your excuse” for not voting for the above measures is “very cheap” [..] Why did it bother you? Didn’t the other parties have a problem with this provision which enables us to further strengthen the e-consumer? Or are we going to wait another year to go through the procedure for the limits of mandates, provided for in the EU law, so that we can, very quickly, make it work much better?
Regarding the products on which the fines were imposed, Mr. Skrekas said that “we do not want to destroy either the products or the companies. We want to make them comply with the law. [..] All the media, when we imposed the fines, reported the products sold by the companies that were fined.”
From there, according to the newsit, added the Minister of Development, we have a code, for example 24 measures of a certain brand, which has been checked and it has been found that there is no problem of unfair profiteering. Another code, which can be 48 bars, has (problem).
That’s why law 5545, article 54 comes and says it will be announced who the offender is, because we want the company to stop profiteering, but it does not specifically mention an analysis, for each product code, because there we might wrong product codes, the which have complied with the law, and product codes which have not.
That’s why we come and grab the “umbrella” of the business that sells these products and announce who they are. Because it is not only the fines of millions of euros, which I presented to you and testified that they have paid.
It is also the defamation of the company when its name is announced, and this is what makes it go to fix the prices on the shelf. Because, that’s our purpose. It is not to destroy products, many of which do their job well. Our aim is to make these products cheaper for the consumer. This is our purpose. And we achieve this because every time we announce fines, we see that companies come and reduce these prices on the shelves.
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