Skopje, 15 December 2024 (MIA) - The government’s “New Year’s consumer basket” starts December 15, with more than 900 grocery items on the discount list to be sold at 10% lower prices until January 15.

The items will be displayed on grocery store shelves marked with labels saying, "Fewer Costs, More for You, We Care," as part of the government’s campaign.

Following the official launch of the campaign on December 5, when it was announced that the list included 600 products, the number reached 900 by Friday, as stated by Deputy Minister of Economy Marjan Risteski.

On social media, Risteski announced that citizens will be able to purchase more than 900 products from 83 companies, with discounts of at least 10 percent.

He urged companies to adhere closely to the campaign they launched and instructed citizens to submit any complaints to the State Market Inspectorate via the free phone number 191 or at www.dpi.gov.mk. 

Prior to the campaign, the State Market Inspectorate stated that market inspectors are tracking the prices of items on the discount list alongside the lowest prices of the same products in the past 30 days. The purpose of this monitoring is to assess whether retailers will follow through on their initiative to cut prices by 10% or more on the most popular food items during the New Year’s period.

When the “New Year's consumer basket” was introduced, PM Hristijan Mickoski said the product list had been agreed upon with the chambers of commerce, unions, producers, distributors, and retailers. The Prime Minister stressed that this isn't a government intervention measure or a price cap, but rather a consensus-based solution. Therefore, there won't be penalties, only monitoring to ensure the products are labeled with stickers visible to consumers.

The "Autumn Consumer Basket" which was in effect from September 24 to the end of October, included 73 products. Based on the Ministry of Economy’s analysis, a typical four-member household saved between 690 and 1,360 denars, depending on the items bought and the stores they visited. In opposition to the government, unions argued that retailers had exploited the measure by increasing product prices and warned they would carefully monitor the application of the New Year’s Basket.

Photo: MIA archive