A message on dealing with accuracy in a series of products was sent on Tuesday by Kostas Skrekas from the stage of the 14th Food Retail.

“The latest package of measures on product prices, it has paid off, and we will see a faster de-escalation of deflation. They are emergency measures until the market works, and then these measures will be extinguished.” noted the Minister of Development, while adding that the “Government is focusing on the modernization of the agricultural sector and the processing of agricultural products”.

The minister referred to the modernization of the agricultural sector, because as he said, the effects of climate change and the reduction of production capacity due to staff shortages may cause problems in supplying the market with agri-food products. That is, in food “and this, on the one hand, results in a possible increase in prices and, on the other hand, shortages in products we need”.

Regarding inflation, the minister defended the anti-accuracy measures that the Government has adopted, stating: “we still have a long way to go in terms of tackling inflation and creating a competitive economy”. However, he noted that in the last month, after the implementation of the latest measures, in some chains inflation has dropped to 0.4%.

However, despite the decrease in inflation which is reflected as the minister said in the supermarket chains, Mr. Skrekas underlined that: “some measures we will maintain until we see inflation decrease. The key measures that have an effect include a three-month ban on promotions that have previously been repriced. Which is drastic and restrictive, but it has worked as many companies have withdrawn price increases or not proceeded with price increases for fear of losing market share.” Also regarding the VAT reduction, he ruled out such a possibility.

He also noted that the consumer can help reduce prices through their consumption behavior. “We want to help him leverage his power through the e-consumer platform and to see how and from where he can get the products cheaper, so the most competitive prices will come. So we’re upgrading e-katanalotis and another drinking tool is being created for the competition to drive down prices.”

In addition, the minister emphasized that the issue is how the economy will become more competitiveand businesses and to offer quality Greek products.

For his part, Aristotelis Panteliadis stated that some of the measures against accuracy taken by the Government are not in the wrong direction. However, he was quick to note: “in a product with such a large price increase as cocoa, measures that limit mark-ups are painful and may cause problems for certain businesses. I want to believe that as inflation moderates, they will start to pull back once we see the de-escalation we want in food inflation.”

With ESE general manager Apostolos Petalas noting from the conference platform: “Interventionism creates more problems than it solves.” The representative of the supermarkets defended the contribution of organized food retailing to the country’s economy, stating that it provides quality, variety and adequacy of products and at the price level and, as Mr. Petalas noted, “does the best it can to exist tomorrow”. . At another point in his presentation, the head of the ESE said that supermarkets invest two and three times more than the money they show on the bottom line, which last year fell below 1.5% of turnover.