Skopje, 25 September 2024 (MIA) - We will not tolerate any application of unfair practices and any transgressions will be punished. The State Market Inspectorate is working across the territory of Macedonia with more than 40 teams and more than 120 inspectors, rotating in various cities, and ensuring the Government's decision to limit profit margins on basic food products is implemented, State Market Inspectorate Director, Goran Trajkovski, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

According to him, today State Market Inspectorate’s teams are monitoring large stores across the country, tomorrow smaller retailers and bakeries, and large retailers on Friday, to see whether the prices of products have been deliberately raised recently.

"I call on all retailers and wholesalers to respect the Government's decision and make no attempts to side step it. Yesterday small retailers did not take the decision and its implementation seriously, which is why today we are following the law and any transgressions will be punished. If necessary and in the future, facilities that do not comply with the decision will be closed. Small retailers have back-up stock, according to their purchase invoices with large retailers, and they should first use up those stocks, and if they purchase any new stock during the time the decision is valid will show whether they and large retailers respect the provisions for earning up to 10 percent," Trajkovski said.

He stressed that the Government’s decision is based on limiting the gross profit margin of 10 percent for large and small retailers, which also includes bakeries, in accordance with the law on trade, article 3.

"This means that if small retailers previously used gross profit margin of 6 percent, there are not obligated to additionally reduce prices, as they are already part of those 10 percent. There are retailers who increased margins over 10 percent, but there are those who have kept their prices. Thus, citizens can see that certain products are at the same price as before the decision was made. Such products must have the ‘lower costs, more for you’ label designation, so that citizens will know exactly which products are covered by the decision," Trajkovski explained.

He noted that yesterday retailers made no attempts to tag products with the designated labels.

"I find this unserious. Yesterday, retailers made no attempts to label 20 to 30 percent of products. Inspectors are currently monitoring and will report whether the designations have been partially or fully implemented. The State Market Inspectorate states that the designation must be clearly visible and check whether all products covered by the decision are within the limited gross profit margin of 10 percent," Trajkovski said.

The State Market Inspectorate is tasked with making sure large and small retailers implement the Government's decision.

"The decision was announced on Friday, and published in the official gazette on Monday, but was valid starting Tuesday. This gives retailers adequate time to adjust prices. The State Market Inspectorate acts in accordance with the law on trade where fines vary from EUR 2,000 to 10,000, and if there is any indication that someone is implementing unfair trade practices, we act in accordance with the law on customers, which can lead to closure of facilities," Trajkovski stressed.

By limiting the profit margins of 70 basic food products, the Government expects their prices to lower by 10 percent. In accordance with the Government's decision, retailers were required to tag reduced-price products with the label ‘lower costs, more for you.’ ssh/sk/

Photo: MIA