The Ministry announces the penalties for traders not implementing the government’s decision on price lock, consumers complain, and the marked items nowhere are there
Prices of the same, only locked. Citizens disappointed, because the Government of the FBiH and trade chains in this entity did not bring relief. Prices seem to be more than 60 products of the same as they were before locking and that the social categories that have been a measure and introduced they did not receive much to the new action of traders and the Ministry of Trade.
It will work an inspection
Although the relevant minister said that the prices of products that will be locked will return to the amount before the latest price increase, that did not happen.
Thus, the price of a liter of oil is 3.15 KM, a few months ago, was 2.50 KM, and consumers in individual markets buy certain products and at lower prices than those locked. An example is milk with 2.8 percent fat, which is locked at 2.10 KM, and you can also purchase a liter of litar of milk and 1.60 marks.
On the other hand, experts warn of inflation, but also the fact that the law enables free price formation.
And recall, prices for flour, bread, milk, sugar, eggs, cheese, some cans, but also individual products for personal hygiene were locked.
The Federal Ministry of Trade announced on 14. February 2025. a new list of products with locked prices, allowing citizens to save from 17 to 23 percent. As part of the fifth wave of this project, the prices of 65 basic food and hygienic products are reduced and will not grow in the next three months.
This initiative is the result of an agreement between the Federal Minister of Amir Hasicevic, traders, manufacturers and consumer associations, with the aim of mitigating inflationary pressures and preserving the price of basic necessities.
The project locked project will last three months, with the possibility of extension. Its main purpose is to allow citizens to access basic living foods on more favorable conditions, protecting them from sudden market increase.
Amir Hasicevic, Minister of Trade in the FBiH Government, told the liberation that they went to lock the most frequent and best-selling products, they are between 17 and 23 percent lower, and to have data and have visited all significant businesses.
– We have appeals of citizens, but we did not go with the cheapest products, depends on the brand, premium. Here, say, you love shoes, so you can buy them for 40 km, and you can also say that this action we say that this group of products must not be more than this whatever happened in the market, says Hasicevic.
He claims that the Ministry has already received data on the prices of some products and lower than it is determined.
– This will be a government decision, not a good will of traders. This will be like this for all trading shops, including small merchants, because they will initially lock the minimum of ten products from the first category and they appear, and I am glad to see that solidarity. They tell me we can lower prices for 12 to 15 products. Legal entities will have an obligation of all 60, but there will be different categories. This decision goes to the government, since we want it to be punishable if someone is not abiding. Inspections will work and each month will be evaluation. These are the top maximum prices for these items, the Minister Hasicevic is emphasized.
He points out that they must not insist on a particular brand, and that they must leave it to dealers. He also announced the formation of an anti-perflation board, which will be ministerial and who will see how to respond to this inflation.
Gordana Bulić from the Association of Consumers of BiH for Liberation says that the law enabled the freely formation of prices and that now comes to collection everything that has not been done in previous years.
– The reason for growth prices in BiH is, except for general inflation, our reluctance. We have no production, we do not have any domestic reserves, and in a universal inflation race, not to get lost in the process of constant pricing, everyone is trying to go forward to operate in a situation. And any such upgrading without a dilemma is beaten in the end over ordinary consumers, through citizens, Bulić said.
He claims that nothing that the FBiH government has done so far did not give results, and even an increase in minimum wages, as prices are constantly growing.
– Unfortunately, we have measures only the Federal Ministry of Trade and their share of prices lasting for two years, since December 2023. It did not give some effects because no one else pulled itself in all this through greater support for agricultural production and Strengthening competition among the merchants, Bulić explains.
It points out that it cannot be said to be like that there was no effect, and that consumers from socially vulnerable categories felt the benefit of saving about fifty KM.
– Honestly, I expected some greater price reduction, but I think the prices are locked in the present level with the assumption that they could in the next month or two grow. We hope that this will not happen, Bulić emphasizes.
Igor Gavran, an economic analyst, emphasizes that the same approach is repeated, which has not already proved to be effective, because if it were, we would not have even greater prices and even greater discontinence of citizens.
No tags
– From the very beginning and the first cycle of this action, the same shortcomings are present. It is crucial that but too high prices are locked at a level that is not justified by costs and thus practically guarantees traders’ high salaries instead of determining precise price calculation and then prescribe their maximum permitted levels, but for real costs. There is also a problem temporary. As if delayed further prices instead of permanently determining the obligation to form prices in accordance with real costs. We also have no calculations now whether these prices are realistic or, say, 10, 20 or 50 percent above the cost of justified level, the raven points out.
He claims that the labeling of such products is inappropriate again, because the buyer must search for the shelves instead of being prescribed as in Croatia, a special shelf in the central place with all these products and thus facilitates customers and inspection.
– There is no guarantee of quantities, that is, whether a product of lower prices “accidentally” will immediately disappear to sell more expensive. There is no mention of the trade reserves or taxation of extraprophytes or sanctions for previous abuses and unjustified price growth … but, at least we have explanations, arguments and analysis, so that we can conclude something from it. Unfortunately, we don’t have them, concludes the raven.
