The Ministry of Agriculture supported the introduction of state regulation of markups on socially important goods

The Ministry of Agriculture has supported the deputies' proposal to introduce state regulation of socially important products, Izvestia has learned. The parliamentarians proposed to allow regional authorities to limit the markups of wholesale and retail trade to 5 and 15% respectively.

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Regulation may affect only socially important goods. The list of just over 20 items includes beef, poultry, butter, bread, etc. This approach will prevent situations in which retailers overcharge for goods, as well as support citizens, the deputies believe. This bill has already been submitted to the State Duma.

The Ministry of Agriculture believes that it is necessary to limit mark-ups only in exceptional cases - for example, when prices rise by 10% or more for two months. According to the law on trade, with such dynamics of price growth, the Cabinet of Ministers can already now set maximum allowable prices for socially important products. Thus, at the end of 2020, the government fixed retail prices for consumers for granulated sugar and sunflower oil.

The deputy initiative is opposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance. Ministries will have to remove the contradiction at an additional meeting in the government.

Read more in the exclusive material of "Izvestia":

No surcharges: the Russian Federation may introduce state regulation of markups on socially important goods