Mickoski warns supermarkets: Lower prices, or the Government will intervene

North Macedonia’s Prime Minister, Hristijan Mickoski, said today that producers, distributors and supermarkets must reduce prices for basic food products, warning that if this does not happen, starting tomorrow he will publicly name them.

According to him, citizens have shown patience so far, and now the time has come for businesses to repay them by correcting the prices of essential products.

“Basic food products must undergo a correction, because citizens have been tolerant until now. Now it is time for them to repay their debt to the citizens. We will make comparisons with the region and with the prices of basic products in our country and in certain supermarkets. If necessary, starting tomorrow we will publish them by name,” Mickoski said.

Asked by a journalist about expectations from the announced meeting with traders regarding price corrections, he said the crisis is nearing its end and that it is now up to supermarkets to repay their debt to citizens by lowering prices.

Mickoski announced that a meeting with all producers, distributors and supermarkets has been scheduled for today.

He stressed that if supermarkets do not take measures to adjust prices, the Government has mechanisms available to act differently and enforce this.

“Today we have a meeting with all producers, distributors and supermarkets. The crisis is ending and citizens were tolerant. Now it is their turn to repay their debt to the citizens and continue lowering product prices, especially basic food products. And we as a Government also have mechanisms if this does not happen, to enforce it in another way. We do not accept excuses and justifications as to why they did not lower prices. If there is no response from supermarkets, distributors and producers in the coming days, then we as a Government will react,” Mickoski said./Telegrafi/