At today's meeting, the government should determine the decision by which the maximum margin in wholesale stores will be limited to five percent, for wheat (type 400 and 500), sugar, oil and salt, while the maximum margin on these foods for small stores will amount to seven percent, "Vijesti" learned from a source from the Government.
By limiting the margins, these foodstuffs should be cheaper. Their prices have risen dramatically this year, especially after the war in Ukraine began on February 24. Thus, for a liter of oil at the beginning of 2021, it was necessary to allocate one euro, in January 2022, 1,40 euros, and the price of that product in Montenegrin markets is now between 2,3 and 2,4 euros. A kilogram of flour (type 400) cost 2021 cents in January 40, a year later there was a 50 percent price increase, and now flour prices are around 80 cents. The price of a kilogram of salt is between 50 and 60 cents, while sugar is 95 cents.
According to unofficial information, the proposal of the decision, which "Vijesti" has access to, passed the Government Committee for Economic Affairs. It was prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism (MERT) within the framework of the Law on Temporary Measures to Limit the Prices of Products of Special Importance for People's Life and Health, which was adopted by the Assembly on May 10. The proposal for this by-law came after the Assembly passed a conclusion on June 15 asking the Government to prepare it as soon as possible. In addition, the Assembly called on the Government to prepare a subsidy program for stores that would be affected by such measures.
With the entry into force of this decision, the law will begin to be applied in practice. This law was prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development under the mandate of the Minister Jakov Milatović.
"The adoption of this decision will contribute to the elimination of the harmful consequences of the increase in the prices of products that are important for people's lives and health, and in light of the fact that the prices of products that are important for people's lives and health are increasing more and more often, which directly affect the standard of living," the explanation of the decision proposal states. .
It is added that MERT has developed a special analysis of monitoring the prices of basic foodstuffs, on a monthly level, which is based on data from the Directorate for Inspection Affairs, so this ministry has information on prices and margins for 22 basic food products.
"The aforementioned price analysis was the starting point for proposing a temporary measure from this decision," it says in the explanation. decision proposal.
The net mass of the product to which the margins for edible sunflower oil, crystal sugar and wheat flour (type 400 and 500) apply is not limited, while for table salt it is defined that the margin applies only to packages of one kilogram, which means that the margin is not ratios if the salt is packed in a larger or smaller quantity than that.
At the beginning of May, the Assembly also adopted an amendment to the VAT law, which reduced the tax on flour and oil from seven to zero percent, and on salt from 21 to seven percent.
However, those changes did not lead to a significant reduction in the prices of those products. The market inspection did not have the authority to control whether traders reduced the prices of food, while the Revenue and Customs Administration, i.e. its tax inspection, is responsible for controlling the calculation and collection of VAT, but not for price reductions.
As previously announced by the Ministry of Economic Development, the market inspection will be able to control price reductions only now when the law on limiting prices is applied, i.e. whether traders respect the maximum prescribed margins.
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