NHS: Food price reductions were possible earlier, so we all look like fools

The Independent Croatian Trade Unions (NHS) believe that the reduction in food prices demonstrates manipulation in the Croatian food market, as they stated at today’s press conference, the price reductions could have been made earlier.

It is evident that there is regular manipulation in the Croatian food market, and citizens have been paying someone additional profits during the period from price increases to price reductions, which were smaller than the increases, emphasized NHS President Krešimir Sever. He recalled how traders, processors, and producers “convinced that there was no room for margin reductions, and now suddenly price reductions are possible even though nothing significant has happened in the market.”

“It turns out that we are all fools from whom someone expects to buy properly and to understand this as all good will,” added Sever. The NHS President called on producers, processors, and traders to continue reducing prices, given that they have the capacity, and urged the Government of the Republic of Croatia to create a comprehensive policy and measures for production and incentives in this area so that “we are not surprised by inflation again.”

He sees the reasons for price reductions in the support and incentives provided by the state to prevent price increases, and in the decrease in sales in retail chains, as he noted, according to recent research, citizens are saving on food and cosmetics. For him, it is questionable how much these products are really cheaper (in some retail chains), considering that, as he said, in other retail chains they can be found at the same or lower prices, and equally quality products from other brands can be purchased at affordable prices.

Sever emphasized that in the past year, food has increased in price by 14.7 percent, of which bread and cereals by 19.8 percent, meat by 9.6 percent, dairy products by about 17 percent, oils and fats by 33.2 percent, fruit by about 21 percent, and vegetables by about 11 percent. (Hina)