Skopje, 3 March 2023 (MIA) – The baking industry will begin distributing white and semi-white bread priced at Mden 33 from Saturday, but it will also launch legal proceedings for the compensation of losses it will suffer as a result of the government’s decision to cap the price of bread, said the president of the Group of Bakery and Mill Industry, Goran Mailishikj, on Friday.

According to Malishikj, the companies fully complied with the support measures and the government has adopted an unconstitutional and illegal decision which will incur losses of EUR 4.5 million for the industry until May 31.

“The fight with the government will continue on a legal basis. The decisions it has adopted result in a loss of more than EUR 1.5 million for us on a monthly level. As a result, we are forced to adjust and cut our losses with certain types of bread, but also to reduce the number of employees. We will look for a way to survive during the next three months, while starting tomorrow we will begin delivering bread to satisfy the needs of the citizens,” said Malishikj.

He assessed that the government is unaware that with these, according to Malishikj, populist measures, it is destroying one of the strategic industries in the country.

“Intensive consultations with legal experts from home and abroad determined that the government’s decisions are unconstitutional and illegal. Contrary to the Decision, the records of the inspectorates show that all measures and decisions adopted by the government have been respected from December 1 until the end of February. In view of this, the baking industry will jointly launch a legal procedure for compensation of the loss inflicted by the government and its decisions. The losses suffered by the baking industry until May 31, which is when the price freezes are expected to end, amount to over EUR 4.5 million. The fight for the protection and survival of the industry will continue through a legal procedure,” said Malishikj.

According to Malishikj, no one could determine the price of a single bread. Each company makes its own calculations.

“If this is the case then anyone could open a bakery. Some companies employ 200, 300, 400 people, they produce various types of bread, the breads don’t cost the same, the quality differs if they are white or semi-white, the packaging is different as well, then there’s the distribution, etc.,” said Malishikj, adding that they will carry out intensive consultations next week and launch a legal procedure. ad/sk/