Ilie Bolojan announces when a decision on capping commercial addition to food will be made, the measure that triggered scandal in coalition
Next week a decision will be made in the ruling coalition on keeping the ceiling of the commercial addition to the basic foods, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced on Thursday night. “Here is the problem to have rational arguments, to see what the data are based on such a decision. Such decisions do not make them on the foot,” said the head of the Government.
“From the first date it would expire this ceiling and, at the end of June, when it was extended by three more months, the discussion I had in the Government at that time was that this would be the last extension. This was the discussion I had then,” said the Prime Minister, in an interview with the EUROnews Romania.
“From the perspective of capping prices for food there are three substantive aspects on this problem. First of all, the measure of intervening in the market in general is not a measure that solves things, because any kind of interventions in the market generates disturbances of the type in which, if you limit, for example, in an area, a price, exactly as a water, which will be to the water, To other products, ”added Bolojan, quoted by Agerpres.
In order to have good prices, in order to have quality products, the increase of agri -food production in Romania must be supported, the processing must be supported, so that there are more Romanian products, and our companies are more competitive, the agri -food industry is supported, the head of the Government argued.
“And the second aspect-we must also ensure the existence of a correct competition, namely that in supermarkets, in the distribution chains, all Romanian producers have access, there is a correct treatment for all the products, and in a country like Romania and the Romanian producers are promoted and encouraged. These are the substantive aspects. He had next week, we will make a decision on this aspect, ”said Bolojan.
According to him, the extension decision was taken automatically, because it was three days after the installation of his office and no studies could be done.
“Here is the problem to have rational arguments, to see what are the data that base such a decision. Such decisions do not take them on the foot, the extension was made, indeed, immediately, because it was three days after the government was installed and we could not study. Now we gather all the data in the markets, we see what the evolution was to be, It happens and, depending on all this data, we will make a decision that we will communicate next week, ”said the Prime Minister.
What Bolojan says about the budget deficit
At the same interview from Euronews, Bolojan said that the budget deficit will not be descended this year below 8% of GDP and that in 2026 it would reach around 6%.
He argues that the deficits can be reduced, among others, by attracting larger investments and increasing the number of people on the labor market, an increase that can be made by increasing the retirement age at the standard age of 65 and by reducing the unemployment aid.
“In the autumn of this year, we are practically evaluations that we will not be able to descend below 8% until the end of the year. These are the data at the moment. It depends on the measures that are taken, depending on what happens with the staggering of some investments. But time, not very long available, this year the impact of the measures that have been adopted. The operating expenses begin to increase much more than the revenues, ”said the head of the Government.
Tensions in the coalition
The decision not to extend the ceiling of the addition to the basic foods created new tensions in the ruling coal, because it was not discussed with all the partners in power, the interim leader of the Social Democrats, Sorin Grindeanu, said.
Several voices from the PSD said that the party does not agree with the interruption of this measure. The Secretary General of the Government Stefan Radu Oprea (PSD) has stated, in a Facebook post, that the capping of prices on the basic food should be maintained as it has already proved its efficiency, and the renunciation of the ceiling would greatly affect Romanians with low incomes.
And the leader of the PSD senators, Daniel Zamfir, accused Prime Minister Bolojan of strikes in the vulnerable categories by the decision not to extend the ceiling.
Deputy Mihai Fifor claimed that the subject was not discussed in the coalition, and the only discussion was in the Minister of Ministers, and the Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu (PSD) opposed.
On Saturday, the Government spokesman, Ioana Ene Dogioiu said that the decision of the non -composition of the ceiling of the commercial addition to the basic foods was taken by the ruling coalition, without any opposite opinion, at that time.
The measure regarding the ceiling of the commercial addition for the basic foods was first taken in June 2023, when Premier was Marcel Ciolacu (PSD).
The extension of the ceiling would not have an impact on the budget, sources from PSD for Hotnews said, being the commercial addition – that is, the merchant's profit. According to the sources cited, if the measure is not prolonged this will be reflected in inflation, which will increase by 2-3%.
Inflation, measured by the National Institute of Statistics through the consumer price index, climbed to almost 10%in August.
List of products and foods for which the addition is applied for the present
Until September 30, 17 categories of products and foods have the commercial addition capped at no more than 5%:
- Simple white bread with weight between 300-500 grams, without specialties
- Magiun up to 350 grams.
- Consumer milk 1 L, 1.5%fat, except UHT.
- Cheese cheese bulk.
- Simple cow's milk, 3.5% fat, with maximum weight 200 grams.
- White wheat flour “000” up to 1 kg.
- Mălai up to 1 kg.
- Chicken eggs caliber M.
- Sunflower oil up to 2 l.
- Fresh chicken – chicken meat, in applying the present emergency ordinance, means: whole chicken, chicken cutlery, whole chicken with bone and chicken wings, standard version.
- Fresh pork – pork, in applying this emergency ordinance, means: pork, pork with bone and bone, pork.
- Fresh bulk vegetables – fresh bulk vegetables, in applying the present emergency ordinance, means: tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, dried beans, carrots, bianca peppers and peppers, garlic.
- Fresh bulk fruits – fresh bulk fruits, in applying this emergency ordinance, means red apples and Golden apples, plums, pears, table grapes.
- Fresh white potatoes.
- White sugar tos up to 1 kg.
- Cream- 12% fat.
- Butter up to 250 grams.
Kelemen Hunor claims to keep the supply of the addition to food: “People have to feel protected”
