An agreement was signed between the Government, supermarket owners and food importers regarding stability in food prices. In a news conference addressed by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri, an agreement was announced that will mean stability in the prices of 15 essential food categories , which means a guarantee that the price of around 400 products will not rise by the time the Government arrives to present the Budget for the coming year. The signed agreement will come into force from the beginning of next February.
“We will give stability in an area where before the families were not thinking that we would have it”, explained the Prime Minister on an initiative spurred by the Government with an agreement that is seeing a 15% discount on the recommended price to sell the -a particular product. This will lead to families having the certainty that the current reality that a product rises in price from time to time, will now remain at a stable price for several months.
“We are giving peace of mind that until the Budget, the price of essential products that families need on a daily basis will not increase again”, claimed the Prime Minister and he also notes the part that the – the importers and the owners of the supermarkets, as a result of dialogue and open discussions that are giving a strong message in favor of more trust in the market by consumers. Prime Minister Abela meant this initiative as another push towards the purchasing power of families in the context of a country that experts certify as having the greatest economic growth in Europe.
The Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed that the policy of stability, certainty and peace of mind will continue to be embraced through other important measures such as aid in the field of energy, the implementation of a social Budget and without taxes introduced. This is at the same time that the Government continues to improve the financial situation of our country while rewarding and supporting the courage, skill and innovation of businesses.
In a presentation given by the Minister for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects, Silvio Schembri, it was explained how after a study was carried out on which are the most consumed food products in our country, a list of 15- the food category and from there started a number of meetings with the private sector. “It is gratifying today to see so many familiar faces, of importers and owners of large establishments that sell food products, who are all here for one purpose. We all understand that we need to do our best to keep prices stable as much as possible, to not allow inflation to continue to rise and be a burden on our families, your consumers”, said the Minister. Silvio Schembri is and notes weeks of intensive discussions that led to the agreement.
“We understand that the small grocery stores cannot compete with much larger establishments, but we believe in this initiative and for its impact to really be felt by everyone, we need even these stores to join us. Therefore for the owners of small shops that join the scheme there will be a grant of €125 for each month that they will join the initiative. In fact, those stores that are interested in being part of this agreement can do so by entering the site of the Ministry for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects and filling in a special form.
The establishments and products that will be part of this initiative will be able to be recognized by special signs with the Stability logo. More information can be obtained on the site ekonomija.gov.mt or on freephone 153.
Photos: DOI/OPM
