The Secretary of Domestic Trade, Roberto Feletti, said Monday that “gondola inflation is monopolistic inflation”, and stated that “it cannot be thought that 50 companies are going to supply the consumption of 50 million inhabitants”.
“We put a basket to regulate; We cannot think that 50 companies are going to supply the consumption of 50 million inhabitants: there has to be a wide and diverse basket that slows down this scenario a little, “said the national official in statements made to Radio 10.
Also, he argued that for large chains “the basket represents 20% of their turnover”and stressed that it is “a broad basket, which is not social assistance but compatible with the consumption of the average Argentine.”
Within the framework of the +Pecios Care programthis Monday the new agreement with refrigerators and large supermarket chains began to govern this Monday, which will be in force throughout 2022 and includes the marketing of seven cuts of beef at agreed values throughout the country.
“We put a basket to regulate; We cannot think that 50 companies are going to supply the consumption of 50 million inhabitants: there has to be a wide and diverse basket that slows down this scenario a bit”
In that sense, Feletti stressed that the cuts of meat in the agreement are offered “at prices an average of 24% lower than those on the market.”
“Today the new price basket for meat begins in all supermarket chains”said the official, and assured that “the basket is working” and that “12,000 tons per month of meat in the large supermarket chains” were agreed upon.
However, he acknowledged that there is “tension in terms of supply, because there is a lot of confrontation with the basket”and even assured that there are “companies that agree but then discuss or do not comply.”
The secretary explained that during the year-end holiday season “7 million kilos of beef were sold, which shows that there is demand.”
Feletti acknowledged that inflation “is still going to be high” at the beginning of the year, “but it will be lower than in January of last year,” and pointed out that “if everything goes well, in March we will begin to see a more normal”.
“A basket with 1,321 products is maintained, which was even taken by (Economy Minister Martín) Guzmán, and placed in the agreement with the (International Monetary) Fund as part of an anti-inflationary strategy. And the basket is going to achieve what we are looking for, which is to match income with prices, that is, lower the weight of food in the average salary,” said the secretary.
Starting today, you can find the program #CutsCare from Monday to Friday in large supermarkets and attached butchers across the country ???
In coordination with @AgriculturaARwe established the marketing of 7 cuts of meat at agreed prices ?? pic.twitter.com/c6yXBWK1Dd
— Roberto Feletti (@RobertoFeletti) February 7, 2022
In addition, he pointed out that “the inflation of fresh products is international inflation”, and considered that “if there is no decoupling of the price of wheat, we will pay cookies at international prices”.
Therefore, he stressed that “It is necessary that there are regulatory instruments, such as export quotas, trusts”and pointed out that “it cannot happen that we end up eating what the Liaison Table wants”.
On the other hand, he indicated that they are seeking to federalize the +Care Prices program, and highlighted the experience of the province of Chaco, in which Governor Jorge “Capitanich took the basket and makes it count, but also adds products from regional economies.”
