How to Lower Prices? The Ministry of Economy Has Released a New Plan 0 8

The Ministry of Economy, in today's statement for the media, clarified the essence of yet another plan of the department, which, according to its authors, is intended to contribute to lowering prices.

"Responding to the long-standing situation in the retail trade of food products – persistently high prices for food, the Ministry of Economy (MinEconomy) has developed an action plan for the trade sector.

To reduce the growth of prices, MinEconomy is taking various measures, for example, on May 27, 2025, a memorandum of cooperation in food trade was signed, which includes the initiative of a low-price basket. The Ministry has prepared an assessment of the food retail sector, also hearing from industry representatives and analyzing the opinions and complaints received. Based on the assessment, action directions were identified to address the problematic issues highlighted by the industry, related to administrative and bureaucratic obstacles.

The goal of the plan is to reduce bureaucracy and revise the requirements in the field of trade, and it includes four main areas of action – assessment of regulatory regulation, reform of advertising placement regulation in public places, reform of street trading regulation, and support for small traders in the regions.

When reviewing regulatory requirements, the main focus will be on reducing administrative costs and bureaucratic barriers for entrepreneurs. For example, the plan provides for a revision of cash register usage requirements in cooperation with the industry and an increase in the threshold for mandatory audits of annual reports, applying this requirement only to large and medium-sized enterprises.

Regarding the regulation of advertising placement in public places, industry representatives noted that the approval process is cumbersome and lengthy, so it needs to be revised to reduce the bureaucratic burden and costs for both entrepreneurs and local governments.

In turn, the regulation of street trading needs to be revised, as the development of new forms of commercial activity and innovations has significantly changed entrepreneurial practices, the existing regulation is outdated, and it needs to be updated in accordance with the requirements of the modern business environment, consumer interests, and urban development.

An assessment will also be made of the introduction of new political initiatives aimed at supporting small traders in the regions. More than half of the food retailers, whose legal addresses are located outside cities (rural areas) and who meet the definition of micro-enterprises, operate at a loss. For this reason, it is necessary to seek support opportunities so that such stores can continue to operate, providing residents with food.

Contrary to the information that has surfaced in the public domain, MinEconomy did not call for abandoning the indication of the country of origin. MinEconomy also did not propose to trade food products that have expired. The action plan for the trade sector includes the task of developing legal regulation allowing the sale of food products marked with the indication "Best before..." after the expiration date, provided that such products are safe for consumption. The indication "Best before..." relates to the quality of the product and is allowed for sale in several European countries.

The action plan is currently in the process of coordination, with further discussions scheduled for the meeting of secretaries of state on May 7.