The meeting of state secretaries again discussed the Action Plan to support the retail sector in Latvia. New ideas emerged among officials – traders should like them.
This year, trading enterprises in sparsely populated areas will enter the realm of "public-private partnership." This means that in addition to traditional trade in food and alcohol, they will be able to provide "basic" functions of social assistance – distributing coupons and food packages to the needy.
In this regard, the criteria for the suitability of goods are also subject to revision:
"Currently, in Latvia, food products marked with 'Best before...' are often thrown away or sold at significant losses due to the lack of regulations allowing the sale of such products after their expiration date, although in most cases they remain safe for consumption.
It is important to emphasize that the 'Best before...' label relates to the quality of the product, not its safety," the document approved by the state secretaries of the relevant ministries notes.
Ministries rush to assist sellers
By December 30 of this year, the state secretaries intend to carry out the following measures to ease the plight of traders:
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The ministries of economics, finance, and the State Revenue Service – "to make the necessary amendments to the legislation to revise the deadlines for paying the difference in excise tax to the state budget in connection with the recalculation made during the inventory of excise goods (in case of a change in the excise tax)."
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The ministries of economics, justice, as well as smart governance and regional development – "to review the scope of powers for coordinating advertising activities granted to local authorities, preventing interference in the content of advertising…"
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The Ministry of Economics – "to review the scope of regulation of street trading, extending it only to areas that are municipally owned and designated for public use."
