The North Macedonian government announced today a cap on the margin for essential food items, detergents, and baby food, limiting it to 10 percent for both wholesale and retail.

This information was shared during a press conference by Marija Miteva, the government spokesperson, who indicated that this margin restriction will be in effect until April 30, commencing from its adoption date, which is anticipated to be finalized shortly.

She noted that the government has instructed the Ministry of Economy to implement a 10 percent margin limit on retail and wholesale for basic food products, covering the same 73 product categories as before, with the addition of hygiene products such as detergents and baby food, as well as other non-food items showing high margins.

“We expect this decision to encompass over 100 product groups,” Miteva stated.

According to Miteva, the decision to impose margin limits was influenced by a report from the State Market Inspection, which indicated that retailers maintain margins exceeding 20 percent on essential food items and over 30 percent on personal hygiene products, with importers and distributors even reaching margins up to 50 percent.

“The findings showed that retailers have margins of over 20 percent on commonly purchased basic food items, such as milk, bread, and oil, and over 30 percent on non-food items like personal hygiene products,” Miteva elaborated.

She emphasized that the Ministry of Economy is also responsible for convening an urgent meeting with pertinent institutions, including the State Market Inspection, the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture, as well as the Commission for the Protection of Competition, to explore additional measures and proposals aimed at providing a sustainable resolution to the current situation.

Miteva also added that the government recommends grocery chains begin transparently publishing their product prices and updating them regularly on a daily basis.

“This recommendation aims to enhance transparency, allowing citizens to make informed decisions about where to shop and to see price differences. We believe that this approach, characterized as a recommendation rather than a restriction, will help standardize product prices,” said Miteva.

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