Skopje, 27 February 2024 (MIA) - The Ministry of Economy will not extend the guaranteed prices measure that is valid until the end of this month, but, as Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi said, it will wait for the adoption of the draft law banning unfair trade practices, which according to him, will put order to unfair competition in trade and lead to a reduction of the prices of food products. 

"We expect this legal solution, which is fully aligned with European regulations and is under the 'EU flag' procedure, to be adopted in the shortest possible time. The law is expected to decrease prices of food and agricultural products," Bekteshi told MIA.

The draft law banning unfair trade practices in the supply chain of agricultural and food products, he notes, was adopted by the Government on the proposal of the Ministry of Economy and submitted to Parliament in December 2023.

"This legal solution that will put in order unfair trade competition and introduce fair practices between traders and suppliers in the agricultural and food products chain, is expected to enter the second reading in Parliament this week," Bekteshi pointed out.

Last year, on September 20, the Ministry of Economy adopted a decision on regulating special conditions for trading certain items, setting the highest prices of individual products for retailers, as well as the obligation for traders to acquire and sell certain types and quantities of individual goods to consumers, which was published in the Official Gazette and is valid until February 29, 2024.

The decision includes rice, flour, bread and other baked goods, biscuits, wafers, pasta, meat and meat products, milk, eggs, white cheese, yellow cheese and other dairy products, as well as mineral non-carbonated and carbonated water, and non-carbonated and carbonated soft drinks and light beer.

The Ministry of Economy also made a decision to reduce import duties for fresh vegetables that is valid until February 28, 2024, thus reducing customs duties to 10 percent for onions, leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, eggplant and zucchini; including a decision to reduce import duties to 10 percent for fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, also valid until February 28, 2024. With Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) countries however, customs duties are 0 percent. ssh/nn/

Photo: MIA archive