Government attempts to regulate market processes spark a sharp discussion among economic experts. The focus is on the planned mechanisms to limit inflationary trends in the context of the upcoming introduction of the single European currency.
Dimitar Zorov from the Dairy Processors Association highlighted the critical situation in commercial chains, where small producers are placed at a disadvantage. According to him, there is a need for legislative changes that would balance market relations.
In the "Hello, Bulgaria" program, the expert shared that the Ministry of Agriculture has already taken initial steps to limit inflationary processes. The goal is to achieve a 3-percent inflation threshold, which will be reflected in the convergence report.
A key point in the discussion is the upcoming Law on Regulating Trade Markups. Zorov emphasized that while a full price ceiling cannot be introduced, there are alternative European practices for controlling pricing.
Economist Preslav Raykov took a more critical position towards the proposed measures. According to him, state intervention should focus on regulating the administrative base, rather than directly determining final prices.
Raykov questioned the lack of a clear mechanism for identifying economic factors forming market prices. He emphasized that the existing Code of Conduct for Traders and Civil Procedure Code already have tools to control the gray sector.
The expert categorically opposed the idea of creating state-owned stores, defining it as an ineffective approach to market regulation.