Skopje, 17 September 2024 (MIA) — The Ministry of Economy and Labor is looking for a solution to keep costs of living down this fall without threatening producers or food retailers, MIA has learned.

According to sources close to the economy minister, he has "already had meetings and will hear proposals from all sides" before deciding whether to propose freezing prices or capping margins on some 100 food products that make up the consumer basket.

The minimal consumer basket proposals from the Ministry of Economy and Labor will be put before the Government for consideration at one of its upcoming sessions, the sources said.

On Monday, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the Government did not want to rush decisions and if it was necessary to align stakeholders' positions, it might take a week until a decision was reached.

"We don't want to force anything," PM Mickoski said. "I stand behind what I said, but sometimes you see individuals acting like a monopoly or a duopoly. It is then when you have to intervene and launch an offensive, which is what we are doing."

"Where the market economy and market practices really dictate the prices, we do not intervene," he said.

"But when you see some import prices and then how the market is divided with a surgeon's precision, then you have no choice but to help citizens. No one should get obscenely rich on the backs of the citizens."

Mickoski reiterated he was in favor of the market economy dictating prices "but unfortunately there are individuals who abuse this position" so the Government needed to intervene in such cases.

The Law on Unfair Trading Practices enters into force on Sept. 28. Price cuts are expected to follow. mr/