There are huge expectations that the legislation of the PB will work, that the price increase will finally be stopped and consumers will be protected. And that the state will finally step into its functions to curb the profiteering of retail chains and wholesalers in the food chain, so that the prices of essential goods become bearable.
This is what the leader of "Stand Up. BG" told the Bulgarian National Radio. Maya Manolova, former national ombudsman, emphasizing that the biggest problem of Bulgarians today is "absurdly high prices, mainly of food and essential goods, of medicines and of utility bills".
The good news is that the Law, which was adopted by the parliament today, ties the hands of retail chains so that they do not abuse producers, she emphasized and added:
"The law adopted today expands the list of unfair trade practices and prohibits forcing suppliers, i.e. producers, to participate financially in promotions and discounts, as well as in campaigns in which the chains have participated. I.e. this has already been declared an unfair trade practice and the sanction for this is up to 10% of the trader's turnover for the previous year.
According to her, in the "window" between the promised reductions and the adoption of the law, retail chains have tried to extort and twist the arms of manufacturers, but this will now lead to extremely heavy sanctions.
Manolova emphasized that the role of the control bodies will be enormous, "but this is the pledge of the great promise of the new rulers to the Bulgarian citizens.".
In the words of Maya Manolova, for the first time in years, political will is being demonstrated at the highest level:
"Prime Minister Rumen Radev personally committed that the issue of prices and unreasonably high markups will be ended. There is no way this time that the control bodies can get distracted and write acts that will clearly fall through in court, because there is a clear political commitment from the new majority".
If the government manages to deal with prices, this will be its first major victory, she pointed out.