Rama’s ultimatum to supermarkets: It is unacceptable for prices to be higher than everyone else’s!

Today, Prime Minister Edi Rama held a meeting with representatives of supermarkets and major suppliers in the country, where he discussed product prices and increasing transparency for consumers.

During his speech, Rama asked businesses to maintain competition and not pass on costs to consumers that, according to him, are not justified by the market.

“No one is asking you to stop making a profit, because that is why you entered the market, to work and earn. But to burden the people, we will not allow this, I assure you. It will be a big problem,” declared Rama, while warning them: “you will say, ‘what did we bring upon ourselves, to hell with what we earned unjustly’.”

The Prime Minister also referred to data from the Bank of Albania, stating that, according to him, they show that the depreciation of the euro and the fall in imported inflation should be reflected in product prices.

“What is even more terrible is that the Bank of Albania figures say three things: that the depreciation of the euro should have brought a decrease in prices linked to the euro, second, that imported inflation has fallen, and third, that with domestic products here, there is a mess with the price,” he declared.

Edi Rama: I say that for the citizen, the time has come for it to be much simpler to see, compare, and choose. Not to be in the dark and face whatever the road brings in the darkness. Meanwhile, to also have a mirror of competition, where the one who is more agile and the one who is quickest in adopting competitive prices wins more.

I would pray that we agree on these things. No one tells you, and no one claims that we will set prices, no one tells you that you should not make profits. These are taken for granted, this is the system we have chosen.

A moment has come when we must look each other in the eye. As long as one of you here has stood by what was discussed until the end, the rest of you have no reason not to stand by it as well.

No one is asking you to stop making a profit, because that is why you entered the market, to work and earn. But to burden the people, we will not allow this, I assure you. It will be a big problem. You will say, “what did we bring upon ourselves, to hell with what we earned unjustly.”

I am speaking very openly, I have nothing personal against anyone, I do not think I am asking for anything unfair, for you to make a sacrifice, or to turn into charities. We are saying, earn, but let others breathe.

It is unacceptable that those prices here are above others. What is even more terrible is that the Bank of Albania figures say three things: that the depreciation of the euro should have brought a decrease in prices linked to the euro, second, that imported inflation has fallen, and third, that with domestic products here, there is a mess with the price.