The leadership of the Development Ministry held a meeting with representatives of supermarket chains, domestic industry officials and multinational groups to press them so as to keep food inflation at zero levels.
According to information from “N”, the leadership of the Ministry of Development wanted to send a message of “vigilance” to the market and mainly to the industry side in order to avoid a new wave of price increases on the shelf.
The competent minister Takis Theodorikakos, called on the market representatives “not to rest and to continue their efforts.” He did not commit himself regarding the possibility of extending the ceiling on the gross profit margin, which is expected to expire on April 30.
Particular mention was made of specific product groups such as beef, coffee, cocoa, orange juice, the prices of which are registering records on the commodity exchange, affecting the entire production chain as they “rest” on an expanded product code list as raw materials.
The minister allegedly called on the market to proceed with the greatest possible absorption of the pressure from the imports of these products and to act rationally. At the same time, he requested that the lists not be revalued in other products, in case the market seeks to balance the imported burden through revaluations in other codes.
The leadership of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture seeks to maintain zero sectoral inflation, Theodorikakos stated after the meeting, adding “we have succeeded in having the lowest food inflation of all the countries in the Eurozone. And because we are interested in this effort, we are addressing all our market forces and are pressing in every way so that the inflationary pressures observed internationally do not to pass, as far as possible, into the Greek market. To be absorbed by the entire supermarket sector, the food industry and multinationals with a reduction in their average profit. What interests us is for citizens to receive better opportunities and a higher disposable income. At the same time, we are intensifying our efforts with controls and more real discounts and offers, not misleading ones.”
