“With everyone’s cooperation, the prices are de-escalating”, points out the Minister of Development, Takis Theodorikakos. He emphasizes that checks have been intensified throughout the market to implement legality and healthy competition while underlining the importance of support and the regions in this battle.
He also states that the maximum fines have increased fivefold for those who violate the law and clarifies that the effort is daily and continuous to further de-escalate the inflation of food and basic necessities that are under the responsibility of the General Secretariat of Commerce. He also points out that we are heading into the third month of negative food inflation and that dealing with inflation as a whole concerns the whole of government policy.
In more detail, to a question about the measures that the minister is considering, in addition to those that already exist, for the purchase and the reduction of food inflation, Mr. Theodorikakos said: “The measures that have already been taken by the Ministry of Development to correct of chronic structural distortions in the market and the de-escalation of prices in basic necessities of life are drastic and show the first significant results. That’s why they got an extension until the end of the year.
We have increased the maximum fines, from €1 million to €5 million for breaching the margin cap provisions and from €2 million to €6 million for breaching the provisions prohibiting promotions where there has been a mark-up .
As reflected in the recent Eurostat announcement, food inflation is gradually decelerating (it is at 1%) and is currently well below the European average. Also, the IELKA in its research showed that there is a reduction in prices in the last months in the supermarket stores which reaches 2% compared to a year ago. In another study, he proved that a typical Greek basket is 26% cheaper than a corresponding German one, comparing products from 44 categories.
Obviously we are not complacent and our effort is continuous and unrelenting. But all of this is a positive sign of a downward trend in prices and shows that we are moving in the right direction. As for dealing with inflation as a whole, it concerns the entirety of government policy. Of course, our main concern is to increase the disposable income of citizens. At the end of the four years, we want the minimum wage to reach 950 euros and the average wage to 1,500 euros.”
Speaking to the Manifesto newspaper, the minister underlined that: “Everyone’s cooperation is required. The state, citizens, consumer organizations, independent authorities, together with healthy entrepreneurship so that prices fall for the benefit of consumers. Accuracy is not addressed by a law and an article. The market is not regulated by buttons and requires constant effort from all of us to make it work legally. All together, in a spirit of sincere cooperation, we can contribute to achieve the desired result”.
Multinationals
Regarding the pricing policy of multinationals, Mr. Theodorikakos said: “The Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was the first to raise the issue of the pricing policy of multinational companies at the European level and will continue to do so. In the first meeting I had as Minister of Development with the president of the Competition Commission, Mrs. Sharp, I had requested that there be an audit of the multinational companies in Greece that market products to see if the rules of healthy competition and legality are being followed.
At the same time, I have asked these companies to obey the laws and rules of the market, and for this reason we have chosen the 100 most essential products, those that are items of daily use, for which there is constant control. Among them are multinational products.
I believe that through this combined and persistent policy which concerns both the consumer and the measures of the Government and the social responsibility that the representatives of entrepreneurship must demonstrate, we will have the result we desire for the benefit of the whole society”.
Regarding the controls, he noted that they have intensified, are carried out on a daily basis and concern the entire supply chain. “Everyone is being checked, the minister added, and no one is going to go unpunished if they are caught breaking the laws that have been passed. The market has rules and everyone must respect them.”
He then reiterated that the Competition Commission is being strengthened with 50 new recruitments of executives in order to become more efficient in its work, while DIMEA is also being further strengthened.
“We want even more intensive controls in the next period” the minister emphasized and added that, a few days ago, he also met with the regional governors and asked for the assistance of the regional services in the battle against punctuality.
“We must fight this battle together and achieve the improvement of the standard of living of the Greeks” as he said.
Finally, he reiterated that our country needs a new production model that will make it attractive for important investments and in this way new, safe and well-paid jobs will be created.
#Theodorikakos #Continuous #battle #results #Prices #supermarkets #falling
