2023-06-18 11:00:00
Can Belgium encourage the food industry to lower product prices as is the case in France? It was discussed this Sunday on the set of Sunday is not everyday. Among our neighbours, 75 large companies have indeed agreed to lower prices at the request of the government. Prices that are actually already lower than us.
In Belgium, food prices have “increased by 18% in one year”, as pointed out by Christophe Lacroix, PS federal deputy and mayor of Wanze. It is therefore necessary today to find a solution to help households. “At the PS, we have tabled a bill to control prices”, said Socialist MP Christophe Lacroix. The goal? In particular, to offer more transparency on the margins that companies make. But, according to the socialist deputy, the MR is currently obstructing this control and this transparency. “We can’t move forward”says Christophe Lacroix.
A threat to bend
If no agreement is reached, the Socialist Minister of Economy Pierre-Yves Dermagne plans to publish a list of recalcitrant companies. It’s a kind of threat to make the sector change its position. “The government would have the ability to set the price for certain basic consumer products”informs Christophe Lacroix.
This proposal was highlighted by Liberal Minister Denis Ducarme, who says he “content” as Pierre-Yves Dermagne “goes on the offensive.” Recalling and insisting on the fact that if France was able to lower the price of 300 products, it is because they “have been banging on the table for months”. ‘Here, it comes a bit late’, he believes. A price freeze is however not an option, as the market “catch up” then on some other basic necessities.
One thing is certain, for Denis Ducarme, it is necessary “more transparency on the margins, if there is any”. And he adds: “We have to stop imagining that there are some everywhere, but there are still some for certain companies.”
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