The Hungarian Confederation of Economic Workers also spoke out regarding the inflation data

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 12. 09. 13:40

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The consumer price index has decreased further, within which the inflation figure for food excluding catering services is particularly low at 0.6. The ideal moment has come to eliminate the margin cap, because with falling world market prices, it would have the smallest impact on consumer prices now. The consumer price index for food excluding catering has been below the targeted 5 percent for several months, while the increase in food producer sales prices has been greater than this – we can read in the recent OKSZ statement.

The margin freeze is meaningless and does not help with the real problem, the high and rising costs of Hungarian food producers and suppliers.

On the other hand, it has several harmful effects:

it worsens the situation of small shops, settlements are left without a grocery store,
the ability of trade to restrain suppliers’ price increase demands before they reach customers deteriorates,
it restrains price reduction campaigns in retail, which is an important purchasing consideration for many price-sensitive Hungarian customers, and the interaction between retail chains the determining terrain of its competition.
increases the import share, worsens the positions of the Hungarian food industry, including reducing the willingness to invest due to the constantly changing legal environment.
the losses suffered reduce the financial resources available for retail investments.

The government will next decide on the extension or elimination of the margin stop in February. Immediate elimination is still worth considering, because the above effects of the delay will only increase over time – they write.