In the midst of lockdown there is an increase in certain prices of products in supermarkets, which comes to correct a regulation that will be brought directly by the government with an amendment to the Parliament.
This will put a ceiling on product prices, especially for the quarantine period. A similar arrangement was made during the period of the first lockdown for the coronavirus in Greece.
As stated by the Minister of Development Adonis Georgiadis, on the SKAI TV station, referring to the increase in prices in supermarkets: "On Monday we will bring an amendment on the issue of unjustified price increases observed in some supermarkets. I am in favor of the free market but when you are in quarantine you do not have a free market, you have a regulated market ". He added that "we will restore the regulation we brought, last March, and whoever has made an unreasonable increase over what we will allow, will receive a huge fine. I urge the leaders who did it not to continue. ".
Ceiling on the profit margin for food, fuel - The setting
The regulation for the price ceiling on the products made by the government during the first phase of the lockdown for the prices of the supermarkets was as follows::
Restrictions on the sale of goods
- If there is still an immediate risk of spreading COVID-19 coronavirus, the lack of which is confirmed by a decision of the Minister of Health, and in any case for a period not exceeding six (6) months after the entry into force of this, it is forbidden to conclude or receive property benefits related to the sale of any goods or services that are necessary for health, the diet, the movement and safety of the consumer, especially medicinal products, personal protective equipment and personal hygiene, such as surgical masks, antiseptic liquids and other disinfectants, if these benefits exceed the value of the benefit, so that the gross profit margin is greater than that before February 1 2020, for the above products and services.
- Competent authority, for receiving complaints and finding a violation of par. 1, The General Secretariat for Trade and Consumer Protection of the Ministry of Development and Investment is appointed.
- The beginning of par. 2 exercises control responsibilities as follows: a) gains access to any information, data and document from any source that facilitates the control of any suspected infringement, b) carries out an on-site inspection, which includes access to any premises or means of transport used by the supplier concerned by the inspection, or order audits carried out by other public authorities, in order to be received, to examine and confiscate evidence, data or documents obtained during the audit, regardless of their storage medium, c) retains possession of the data, the data and documents obtained during the audit for as long as and to the extent required for the smooth execution of the audit, d) seeks the provision of factual information by any representative or staff member of the supplier being audited, who has the obligation to provide information and explanations regarding the facts, the data or documents related to the subject of the audit.
- By decision of the Minister of Development and Investment, they are imposed on anyone who violates the prohibition of par.. 1, either ex officio or following a complaint, one or more penalties as follows: a) Recommendation to stop the illegal practice and to comply with the exclusive deadline set by the decision, as well as its omission in the future, b) fine of a thousand (1.000) up to one million (1.000.000) euro, depending on the gravity of the infringement.
- Exceptionally, in the event that the Minister of Development and Investment has exhausted all the means provided to him by law in order to achieve the cessation of the illegal practice and its consequences and in order to avoid the risk of serious damage to the collective interests of consumers, may take additional measures as follows: a) to require either from the offender, or the immediate removal of content from an Information Society service provider, the deletion, disabling or restricting access to online (online) interface, b) prohibit advertising on any medium for goods for sale in breach of paragraph. 1.6. By decision of the Minister of Development and Investment, the concept of disproportion of benefits to the value of the benefit may be specified., to define more specific issues concerning control responsibilities, as well as the procedure for imposing the sanctions of par. 4 and to regulate each individual issue for the application of this.
Fines and control
Non-compliance with the provisions of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth article entails the imposition of an administrative fine of one thousand (1.000) up to one hundred thousand (100.000) euro, per case, depending on the gravity of the infringement.
Source: Free Press
