MINSK, 31 January (BelTA) – Belarus will not allow a spike in food prices, Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Aleksei Bogdanov told the STV TV channel, BelTA informs.
“We will keep our finger on the pulse [in order to prevent an excessive rise in prices]. Food prices continue to rise globally, and there are no signs yet that things are going to change. Naturally, we cannot allow a situation when our citizens cannot afford some products, this is our social responsibility,” said Aleksei Bogdanov.
Therefore, the ministry and the government will continue to control prices and fulfill the task set by the head of state - to offer earning opportunities for all. “Manufacturers should not incur losses, and retail should remain in the black, and most importantly, consumers should be able to buy food. The task is to maintain such a balance that consumers will not be affected,” the minister said.
Speaking about the food embargo, Aleksei Bogdanov noted that “retaliatory measures did not cause any problems”. “We replace almost 90% of embargoed food by domestic products. The biggest problem was vegetable and fruit that are not produced in our country due to climatic reasons. Our retail outlets and suppliers did a great job, they found these products abroad and started delivering here. These processes have already been established,” he said.
