The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina included an additional six food products, which were judged to be necessary to meet the basic needs of the population, on the list limiting the maximum amount of margins in stores.
At the session in Mostar, the Government adopted a new Decision which, as a measure of direct price control in the territory of the Federation, prescribes the determination of the maximum level of margins in trade (calculated prices) for certain basic foodstuffs and other products.
Compared to the earlier decision of the Government, made at the end of August this year, today’s decision increased the number of products from nine to a total of 15.
The decision enters into force eight days after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and will be applied until December 31 of this year.
The obligation from today’s decision refers to the following products: wheat flour type 500, five and 25 kilograms (wholesale margin six percent and retail eight percent), semi-white wheat bread 100 percent of 400 and more grams (wholesale margin five percent and retail six percent), then one liter of edible sunflower oil (wholesale margin five percent, retail six percent), salt one kilogram (wholesale margin six percent, retail eight percent), crystal white sugar one kilogram (wholesale margin six percent, retail eight percent), pasta 400 grams (wholesale margin six percent, retail eight percent), long grain rice 800 grams (wholesale margin six percent, retail eight percent), and a liter of UHT cow’s milk with 2.8 percent milk fat, packaging without a cap (wholesale margin five percent, retail six percent) as well as yogurt per liter 2.8 percent milk fat (wholesale margin six percent, retail margin eight percent). Among the products included in this decision are 250 grams of vegetable margarine (wholesale margin of six percent, retail margin of eight percent), fresh consumption eggs of class M 30 pieces (wholesale margin of six percent, retail margin of eight percent), then fresh whole chicken in a kilogram bag (wholesale six percent margin, retail margin eight percent), fresh bone-in beef ribs one kilogram (wholesale margin six percent, retail margin eight percent), and laundry detergent three kilograms (wholesale margin eight percent, retail margin 12 percent) and laundry detergent dishes liquid liter (wholesale margin eight percent, retail 12 percent).
As explained, the Federal Ministry of Trade held two meetings with representatives of the Association of Employers in the FBiH, where certain provisions of the previous Decision and its application in practice were discussed. At those meetings, it was concluded that it is necessary to revise the existing Decision with the aim of expanding the number of products to which direct price control measures apply by determining the maximum margin in trade.
It was also explained that in the dialogue with representatives of traders it was concluded that in this way citizens will be helped, especially those with the lowest incomes and low purchasing power, and traders will show their determination to accept part of the burden of economic reality and show social responsibility by consistently applying the Decision.
