By publishing a list of real-time prices, citizens will be provided with greater awareness and the opportunity to compare across different retail chains. This is expected to contribute to increased competition and the stabilisation of prices of essential food products. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry, Dontcho Barbalov, during a meeting of the working group Consumer Protection of the Coordination Council for Bulgaria’s preparation for membership in the euro area.
The meeting was held in relation to the implementation of the requirement of the Act on the Introduction of the Euro in the Republic of Bulgaria (AIERB), obliging food retailers to publish daily on their websites the prices of certain essential products from the large consumer basket. The meeting was attended by Maria Filipova, Chairperson of the Consumer Protection Commission, representatives of “Information Services” AD, the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union, the “Association for Modern Trade”, consumer protection organisations (“Association for Legal Aid in Consumer Rights” and the “Consumers’ Federation”), the National Statistical Institute, the Ministry of Finance, the Bulgarian National Bank, the National Revenue Agency and others.
Pursuant to Article 556, paragraph 4 of the AIERB, the Consumer Protection Commission will maintain a dedicated online portal, where the retail prices of the goods forming part of the large consumer basket and the price lists provided by traders will be published daily, in order to ensure transparency and to safeguard consumers’ interests.
During the meeting, the list of essential goods was discussed – including basic types of bread, dairy products, meat, fruit and vegetables, canned foods, fish, medicinal products, and others.
According to the unanimous view of the participants, today’s discussion was fruitful as it highlighted the opportunities for final clarifications in refining the list of goods forming the large consumer basket, and for taking decisions primarily in support of consumers.
In conclusion, Deputy Minister Barbalov emphasised the need for joint efforts to foster trust among both citizens and businesses. In this context, he stated that more frequent meetings of the Consumer Protection working group are planned, which will provide the opportunity to share specific issues and seek solutions.