Stores must also use information boards to inform customers about the food price freeze that will come into effect on February 1, the Government Information Center (KTK) told MTI on Wednesday.
They wrote that the relevant decree, the logo and image to be used will soon appear in the Hungarian Gazette.
They reminded that a
FROM FEBRUARY 1, THE GOVERNMENT WILL FREEZE THE PRICES OF SEVERAL BASIC FOODS AT LAST OCTOBER 15.
The goal of the food price freeze is to protect the Hungarian population from the food price increase that will also affect Hungary due to the coronavirus epidemic and runaway European energy prices, they wrote.
The food price freeze affects granulated sugar, fine wheat flour, sunflower cooking oil, pork leg, chicken breast, chicken back and 2.8 percent UHT cow's milk. The price of these products must be established in such a way that it cannot be higher than on October 15 of last year. The price cap lasts from February 1 to May 1.
By reducing the price of these foods that are consumed in large quantities, customers can save thousands of forints per month, the price cap especially protects families with children and the elderly, they said in the announcement.
Compliance with the provisions will be checked by the consumer protection authority of the government offices from February 1.
If the authority detects a violation of the law, it obligatorily imposes a fine. The fine ranging from HUF 50,000 to HUF 3 million can be imposed several times, and the second time it can be at least twice the previous amount. In the case of repeated infringements, the trader's activities may be temporarily restricted for at least one day and at most half a year.
If a consumer complains about the violation of the food price cap, the authority will treat it as a public interest report and investigate it immediately.
IN ORDER TO INFORM BUYERS, INFORMATION BOARDS SHOULD BE PLACED AT THE ENTRANCES IN SHOPS THAT SELL FOOD AND MARKETS.
The government will publish the text, logo and image required for these in the Magyar Közlöny and on the website www.kormany.hu - concludes the announcement of the KTK.
2022Plusz: Minister Gergely Gulyás previously indicated that the four government price cap measures announced by the government so far will reduce inflation by a total of 2% points. He meant this on the one hand for the overheads that have been in effect since 2013, on the other hand for the HUF 480 price cap on 95 gasoline and diesel announced in October, and thirdly for the interest cap valid from February to June, which applies to mortgage loans with variable interest rates, and fourthly, from February 1 to the food price stop that comes into effect.
Source: origo.hu/MTI
Featured Image: Getty Images/Illustration
