In the TV24 program "Person of the Day with Velta Purina," the president of the Latvian Association of Traders, Henrik Danusevich, sharply criticized the government's attitude towards small retailers and the provision of food circulation in the regions, writes LA.LV.
Danusevich stated that the association has approached the Union of Local Governments of Latvia with a request to assess how food circulation is ensured in regions and municipalities, but there has been no response so far.
“Even the Ministry of Economy is not reacting to this situation. Small enterprises and local stores are currently not in the government's focus. Attention is directed to other issues, while food supply — including during crisis moments — is being ignored,” Danusevich noted.
He emphasized that discussions were also held with the Minister of Defense — it is necessary to consider how local stores cope with food supply during various crises.
Speaking about restrictions on alcohol sales, Danusevich noted that they are driving small stores into a dead end. According to him, the latest government decisions to reduce alcohol sales hours significantly decrease the income of small retail outlets.
He stated that stores survive by selling products with higher markups — including alcoholic beverages.
“By excluding these two hours from alcohol sales, the merchant faces a dilemma — to raise the markup on food products or to close down. And if the store closes, those living nearby have less time after work to stop by and buy the necessary goods,” Danusevich explained.
Small retailers do not receive support. The association's president reported that he constantly receives alarming news — the closure of stores continues.
“When we walk around the city, I think you also notice stores that are closing. And if you have information about such cases that I am not yet aware of, please write — I would appreciate this information.
We need to appeal to the government to consider how to ensure constant access to food for people. Let's see what is happening in Western Europe — in any store in Brussels, you can go in at any time of the day or night and buy everything you need,” the president of the Latvian Association of Traders pointed out the contrast with the situation in Latvia.
