The Chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) Alexander Kolyachev stated in the studio of "The Day Begins" that at the moment there is no serious increase in the prices of basic food products, despite the public perception of price increases. His statement comes against the backdrop of increased public interest, institutional meetings and upcoming mass inspections on the eve of the Easter holidays.
He emphasized the need for a clear distinction:
"When we talk about price increases, we must clearly distinguish between price increases of what – of goods, of services. Regarding the goods that we monitor, the basic foodstuffs, which is the most important goal of monitoring the prices of foodstuffs in a large part of the country, we have not observed a serious increase in prices since the introduction of the euro to the present."
According to him, when irregularities are detected, the institution reacts immediately:
"Where we have detected such a price increase, we have intervened in the market at the moment and have taken all the measures that are given to us by law."
Since the entry into force of the law on the introduction of the euro, thousands of inspections have been carried out:
"Since the law on the introduction of the euro has been in force, we have carried out over 8,000 inspections, over 1 million euros in fines. But this is not the most important thing."
However, Kolyachev admitted that the situation is not the same in all sectors:
"We are not observing an increase in the prices of basic food products, but this does not mean that there is no increase in some sectors, such as the restaurant business, the service sector, the tourism sector, the transport sector."
According to him, the commission does not have the authority to regulate the prices themselves, but only monitors unfair practices at the final point of sale:
"Our powers by law are to monitor whether the final point of sale, i.e. the store, the hairdresser, the taxi driver, the final point of sale, is not speculating with a price increase. But how does this product come, at what prices, who buys it over, what markups does it put on itself – we have no authority there."
He also emphasized the role of market mechanisms:
"The price of the product, we still live in a market economy, is determined by each and every level along the chain. From a producer who knows what his costs are for the production of this raw material, who pays the wages of workers, who, if they increase, of course, also raise the price of his production."
To one of the main questions - why do people feel an increase in prices, and institutions report stability, Kolyachev replied:
"I cannot get into this rhetoric, because if it comes to food products, this is not true. If it's about your bills that you pay every month, the fees that you have to pay, increased taxes and various other services that create the feeling of price increases, yes, there really is no point in talking about food products."
The data shows a change in price dynamics in March:
"In March, we saw some deviations in the normal price movements monitored through our website. So, what did we notice? The number of price increases became more than the number of price decreases."
Particular attention is paid to the dairy sector:
"We have a slight distortion at the moment, for which we immediately took measures. We have requested data from the companies to see what this is due to."
From April 1, mass inspections will begin, targeting traditional Easter products and trade:
"Every year during the holidays, we plan a mass presence in the markets so that consumers are not deceived by false advertisements, with announced prices that are not actually such."
The focus will be on key goods:
"Kozunac, eggs, lamb. Also, home decorations, online shopping during the Easter holidays, even travel."
Despite the public tension, the signals to the commission are fewer:
"I can tell you that the signals have decreased quite a bit, which is reassuring for us, since we manage to finish relatively on time, to relatively always meet our deadlines."
Kolyachev also drew attention to other areas where there is tension - for example, with electricity bills:
"This topic is difficult, we are constantly holding talks, working in different directions, again according to our own competencies. Yes, we see that in their general terms and conditions of the company, for example, there were unacceptable clauses."
The commission will continue to monitor the market, especially in the context of the introduction of the euro and the upcoming holidays.