Steven N.In Wednesday’s Government Information briefing, the Hungarian government announced that eggs and potatoes would be joining the range of food products set at an officially-determined price. This means that stores will be required to sell these products at whatever their full retail price was on September 30.
However, trade groups informed the government shortly after the announcement that stores would need more transition time to properly implement the regulation, which allowed the rest of the week to be designated as a grace period for grocery stores to make the necessary adjustments. While shops have been obliged to sell products at officially-set prices since the announcement, the consumer protection authority will only sanction violations of the new rules starting on Monday, November 14.
To comply with the government’s rules, Hungary’s grocery stores have to replace price tags on the various types of eggs and potatoes, adjust their online cash registers, and also have to display official signage of the officially-set prices in their stores.
In January, the government decreed that six products, namely crystal sugar, wheat flour, chicken breast fillet, sunflower cooking oil, pork leg, and regular 2.8% UHT cow’s milk, would have to be sold in every store at the exact prices that these products cost in each given store on October 15, 2021.
Businesses that violated the provisions of the earlier decree could be fined up to 3 million Ft. ($7,650), while stores with repeated violations could be forced to close their doors for periods ranging from a day up to six months, it was reported at the time. [Magyar Hang]
I’d be very interested in knowing what Marki Zay asks in his national consultation.
Here you are Gretchen!
https://konzultacio2022.hu/konzultacio
Congratulations Steven on your new weekly edition of “Hungarian Politics”. My hope is that all EU
Ambassadors, let alone other relevant officials will read the new weekly summary of Hungarian politics and/or related subjects. Given the regime control of Hungarian newspapers and television stations, your publication is vital, especially since non Hungarians have a very difficult time learning sufficient Hungarian to read “between the lines” in Hungarian regime media. Of course, as most readers know, there are independent Hungarian language internet voices and a few quality independent magazines albeit most non Hungarians can not read these outlets (and most Hungarians get their “news” from the regime).
Thank you for your support Misi, it is much appreciated! Hope you’re having a fantastic fall.
Presumably, the government relies on credible home-market statistics when they impose price limits.
If not, the demand will soon overtake the yield. The retailers who have to import may come up short, because the buying power of the Euro is 4 times that of the Forint.
I wouldn’t assume that economic considerations are a factor when decisions like these are made.