Since yesterday, most retail chains have lowered prices for 43 types of products for which margins are limited in the action of the Government and retailers called "Limited prices", but there are also those who in the days before the action had the same prices from this group of products as yesterday when they marked them with a special red mark.
"Vijesti" chose nine products from the same producer and weight from the group of products for which, according to the Government's decision, the margins are limited to 5 to 15 percent in wholesale and retail - one-liter homemade yogurt, uncapped milk with 2,8 percent milk fat, long-grain rice , frozen peas, ketchup, children's soap and shampoos, toothpaste and toilet paper, which she compared prices on the Monday before the sale and yesterday when the discounts were introduced.
The purchase of a consumer basket of these nine products yesterday cost about 2,2 euros less than on Monday. At the beginning of the week, 16 euros had to be allocated for these items, and 13,81 euros yesterday. Although the savings are significant, part of the traders in Podgorica do not respect the state measures, so their prices are the same as before the start of the campaign, and some of the products are not even labeled properly, "Vijesti" research showed.
The biggest drop in price among the products included in the action was recorded for toothpaste, which became cheaper by 90 cents.
At the end of last week, the government adopted a decision to limit trade margins, after an agreement with traders. There are 43 products on the list, and the Government said that it is 500 items when all manufacturers and producers are taken into account. These products in markets are marked with a red "Limited Price" label, the promotion will last until the end of May. Margin is the difference between the purchase and sale price of goods.
It has an effect and disrespect
In the Podgorica store, which marked all the necessary items, the biggest drop in price was recorded for toothpaste of 125 milliliters, which is cheaper by up to 90 cents. The price of domestic yogurt "Lazina" is also lower, which was reduced from 1,35 euros to 1,19, and the same was done for yogurt "Srna", which is now 14 cents cheaper than before. The price of a liter of milk without a cap has been reduced by ten cents with the new promotion, so it now amounts to 99 cents.
A package of long-grain rice is twenty cents cheaper, which instead of 1,19 euros now costs 98 cents, and mild ketchup is also cheaper by that much. Frozen peas are slightly cheaper, the price of which has been adjusted lower by eight cents. Among baby products, the price of a 400 milliliter shampoo is now about 45 cents lower, so that item costs 3,34 euros. Soaps for children have also become cheaper by about 15 cents. In this market, the price of toilet paper remained the same before and after the government action came into force.
All four stores visited participated in the action, but none of them reduced the prices of all nine items that "Vijesti" followed. Half of the retailers, that is, two companies, marked all of the expected items with the "limited price" label, but in two cases, they did not change the price. Thus, the price of yogurt in one market remained at the level before the start of the campaign, while another store did not correct the value of toilet paper.
Among the other stores, one did not change prices at all even though the items were marked down and put on sale. Of the nine monitored, that market did not include three products in the campaign or change their prices. This store has properly marked down three items and reduced their prices, including homemade yogurt, baby shampoo, and toothpaste.
One store didn't change the prices of toilet paper and ketchup at all, even though it marked them with a discount tag. In addition, she did not mark peas and rice as part of the campaign, even though they should be, and did not correct their price either. They complied with the state action in the case of the remaining five items.
Extension only after analysis
Minister of Economic Development Nick Djelosaj yesterday, while a guest on "Colors of the Morning" on "Vijesti" television, he said that the goal of limiting trade margins was to reduce inflationary pressure on citizens. He emphasized that he believes that the prices of the items on sale will be ten to 15 percent lower. For the potential continuation of these measures after May, Đeljošaj said that it would depend on the analysis, the effects of the action and the summer tourist season.
"We think these measures will be good. We analyzed them to be the best, but we don't want to say - this is the best, we stand behind it and after the analysis we may find that they were not good. We will analyze the effects of these measures and after that find some measure in which way we will continue with what is support for a better standard of citizens", he stated.
As he said, the difference between this and the "Stop Inflation" action implemented by the 43rd Government is "day and night" because now there are more items on which margins are limited. He stated that the market inspection will fine shops that do not respect the Government's decision and are included in the action from 5.000 to 10.000 euros.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic he previously said that from Tuesday, more than 500 items covered by this campaign will be on store shelves. He stated that the inflation in Montenegro is imported, and that it is not the merchants' fault because they agreed to limit the margins to a low level.
"Such a number of items with a reduced price makes this action the largest so far, but also the first and only one aimed at reducing prices, and not at simply stopping further price growth. We are lowering prices, increasing pensions, and the continuation of the 'Europe Now 2' program is coming soon and more good news with increased earnings", said Spajić.
43 products covered
The decision extended the previous validity of margin limits in wholesale trade to five percent and in retail trade to seven percent for wheat flour type 400, wheat flour type 500, crystal sugar, edible sunflower oil (regardless of the type of packaging) and table salt in packaging of one kilogram.
In wholesale and retail stores, the maximum margin amount of 10 percent is for: domestic white cheese (bulk), domestically produced yogurt in a one-liter package, fresh potatoes (no weight limit), milk in a one-liter package with 2,8 percent milk fat and without cap, whole chicken and boneless pork neck (no weight limit), long grain white rice in a bag in packages from 800 grams to one kilogram, white flour pasta in packages from 350 to 400 grams , frozen peas in packages of up to 500 grams and table margarine of 250 grams.
This group also includes meat products only domestically produced in bulk or without weight restrictions - tea sausage, pressed ham, chicken breast, sudjuk, beef tea sausage, chicken hot dogs and dry pork bacon. The same rules on reducing margins apply to a 200-gram can of tuna pieces without additives in oil, chicken pate without additives of 100 grams, plum jam and marmalade in packages of 500 grams up to one kilogram, canned beef stew up to 500 grams, mild ketchup in packages of 300 to 500 grams, fresh trout without weight limit, sardines in vegetable oil without additives in packages of up to 200 grams, juice syrup for dilution of one liter, semi-hard block cheese ("edamer", "gouda") in bulk .
For the group of products for maintaining hygiene, margins in wholesale stores are limited to 10 percent, and for retailers to 15 percent. This group includes solid baby soap in a package of up to 100 grams, "economy" baby diapers in a package of 40 plus pieces, baby shampoo in a package of 200 to 500 milliliters, fruit porridge for babies in a jar of up to 130 grams, baby bath in a pack of 200 to 500 milliliters, shampoo for adults of one liter, bath for adults of 250 milliliters, toothpaste of 125 milliliters, three-ply toilet paper in a pack of 10 pieces, washing powder detergent in a pack of three kilograms and sanitary napkins standard of ten pieces.
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