Prime Minister Sanader is satisfied with the negotiations with producers and retailers that have resulted in a reduction in prices of about 10 products in some retail chains. “This is not about political pressure, but about the responsibility of everyone in the chain,” Sanader is categorical.
Prices are formed according to market principles and cannot be influenced by the Government, the Croatian National Bank, or the Parliament. However, the fact is, he says, that prices are formed in a certain country, under certain circumstances, and it is logical that part of the profit that retailers make is returned to those from whom they earn. Along with the reduction in product prices, the price of oil on the world market is also falling, so it is quite realistic for inflation to drop to six percent to 6.5 percent by the end of the year, estimates Sanader.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Damir Polančec says that his Ministry has a team of people who monitor prices daily and are in constant contact with the largest producers and retailers to curb price increases. In this regard, the Price Monitoring Commission, claims Polančec, has its purpose. Minister of Agriculture Božidar Pankretić adds that solid yields and a good harvest of grains will contribute to stabilizing prices. (Gordana Gelenčer)
