Csaba Balázs Rigó: the temporary application of the margin stop serves the interests of the Hungarian people

The online economic portal reminded that the margin freeze will come into effect next Monday. The essence of the measure is that larger retail stores and chains – with a revenue of more than one billion forints – will temporarily be unable to add more than 10 percent to the purchase price of thirty specific product groups until the end of May.

Regarding the impact of the government measure introduced to curb inflation on the market, the President of the GVH said that

the competition authority previously proved, based on facts, that there was profit-driven inflation in Hungary, when certain actors in the food trade increased the margins of certain basic foodstuffs to a greater extent than could be justified.

The interview also covered Thursday’s government briefing, where Gergely Gulyás, the minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office, provided several details about the margin freeze. Among them was that compliance with the rule will be monitored from the second half of next week.

And not only the prices applied to the thirty product groups on the list will be examined, but all goods will be monitored, to prevent retailers from trying to collect their lost profits elsewhere. According to the minister’s answers to journalists’ questions, the GVH may also have tasks in the inspections, based on the law.