The government will discuss with the market problems between retailers and suppliers

A number of issues market participants cannot resolve on their own

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will host a meeting on the relationship between retail chains and food suppliers on January 19, Kommersant writes with reference to a letter received by the Association of Retail Companies, Rusprodsoyuz, Rusbrand, Soyuzmolok, the National MEAT Association and other industry associations . The participants of the meeting are expected to discuss contentious issues that providers and networks cannot resolve on their own. In particular, the topics of paying retrobonuses, uncoordinated collection of penalties, fines, imposing unfavorable terms of supply, compliance with the principles of the Code of Good Practices (CDP) will be raised, sources told the publication.

One of the newspaper's interlocutors specified that the meeting was held in connection with the development of new trade regulation measures. So, according to him, the Federal Antimonopoly Service is developing an expansion of the list of products for which the collection of bonuses is prohibited, which should help curb food inflation. Now the law on trade does not allow the payment of bonuses for the purchase of 24 items of socially significant products, including meat, fish, MILK , SUGAR, SALT.

The executive DIRECTOR of Rusprodsoyuz, Dmitry Vostrikov, told Agroinvestor that on most pressing issues, suppliers and networks have formed solutions and included them both in the CDP and in the decisions of the commission on its application. According to him, the key problem today is non-compliance with these norms or a formal approach on the part of retail operators. “There is a legislative way and self-regulation. But to ensure the implementation of self-regulation norms, standard supply contracts must not contradict the norms of self-regulation, Vostrikov believes. “Nine years after the start of self-regulation, network contracts have not been brought into line even with the CDP, not to mention the decisions of the commission.” In his opinion, retail chains are probably no longer interested in self-regulation or do not have the will to legally confirm their readiness to follow this path.

According to Marat Ibragimov, a senior analyst at Gazprombank, the superiority of the market power of retail over suppliers cannot be changed, but the state can "try to improve the balance in relations between the parties." The expert told Kommersant that in the previous amendments to the law on trade, it was successful to reduce the deadlines for paying goods to suppliers. The issue of fines that threaten producers with unforeseen expenses also requires additional discussion, the analyst notes. But, according to him, interference in the pricing process, including through the regulation of bonuses, threatens with great risks, up to a deficit.

Three federal retailers will limit the trade margin on essential products 

Meanwhile, earlier Gazeta.Ru reported that the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture do not plan to freeze prices for sugar and butter again, but intend to use other tools. Thus, the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to introduce "a set of measures of customs and tariff regulation for the main categories of products, including cereals, sunflower and sunflower oil, sugar and meat" and continue state support for producers. The Ministry of Industry and Trade intends to apply a mechanism for fixing marginal prices for socially significant goods.