High prices worry all Bulgarian citizens and they have the right to know why prices in Bulgaria are so high. With our presence here - the Minister of Agriculture, the directors of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency and the National Revenue Agency, we want to show, as Minister Abrovski said, that the state, with all its representative power, is taking on the task of clarifying the supply chain from producer and importer to end consumer in retail chains. This was stated by the Chairperson of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) Maya Manolova at the joint briefing today in a warehouse of one of the retail chains, where the comprehensive inspections began.
The state authorities are committed to ensuring fairness in pricing, added Manolova and explained that the inspections will also answer the question of why the chains prefer to offer products imported from other EU member states or third countries, instead of from Bulgarian producers.
When asked about the allegations of markups and profits by the Association for Modern Trade, Manolova described them as “ridiculous arguments“, and the personal attacks – as “an expression of a weak position”. They have no arguments why the Bulgarian consumer is subjected to more humiliating treatment than consumers in other European countries, she added.
The briefing reported that the joint inspections of the NRA, BFSA and CPC began this morning at 9:00 a.m. in all central warehouses of the retail chains and will continue until Friday, and will not be limited to them, but will continue at the next levels from next week in order to achieve clarification of the entire food supply chain in Bulgaria. Within the framework of the inspections, the CPC will monitor for economically unjustified price increases and unfair trade practices, and the other authorities will check for facts and circumstances, according to their respective legal powers.