Prime Minister Edi Rama visited a grocery store in a Tirana neighbourhood on Sunday to check prices of basic food items recently set by the recently-established Basic Food Price Management Board to set price caps on food items and prevent any price fixing for consumer goods as part of the efforts to cope with the impact of Ukrainian conflict.

“It is really a very tough situation, but we want some sort of solidarity and accord is demonstrated,” PM Rama said in a conversation with the store manager. 

The Minister of Finance and Economy Delina Ibrahimaj said that the Management Board has agreed to set standard prices for the basic food items at all retail stores. “Initial meetings of the newly-established Management and Transparency Board have taken place and main focus is place on the most sought food items mainly used by the Albanian households. We have agreed that all the wholesale and retail stores and importers apply standard price caps and standards profit margins,” Finance and Economy Minister said.

The store manager pointed out that prices of several food items, mostly imported products, including rice or pasta, have increased in recent weeks. “Prices of all the import products have soared. We will do utmost to keep lower prices for the most-sought food items,” he said.

The government head asked for information about current prices of main products like cooking oil, wheat flour, and rice and urged traders to show understanding and seek a minimum profit margin during this period and instead focus on efforts to successfully cope with the situation.

“It is important that the basic food is at a reasonable level, where the profit margin is super-minimal at this stage,” the Premier said.