The “basket of school supplies” comes into effect from next Wednesday, August 28 until Tuesday, October 15, 2024, with the inspectors of the Inter-Service Market Control Unit (DIMEA) being on their feet so that there are no mishaps from those who attempt to obtain ill-gotten gains.
As the officials of the Ministry of Development note, the checks, which are anyway increased across the entire range of the market (in addition, a large investigation is “running” in 26 companies with thousands of products), in the near future, on the occasion of the “basket of schools”, will be more targeted for the full implementation of the profit cap legislation which should be maintained at 2021 levels.
Theodorikakos’ messages about school prices
After all, as Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos pointed out to market representatives during yesterday’s meeting ahead of the new school year, “there is no justification for any revaluation of school supplies”, noting that it is absolutely necessary to support the Greek family and school-age children to have access to everything necessary for their courses.
The minister, after his meeting with the Secretary General of Booksellers of Greece Kalliopi Skaya, the new president of the Association of Retail Businesses of Greece Costas Gerardos, the president of the Central Union of Chambers of Greece Yannis Masoutis and the representative of the Union of Supermarkets Apostolos Petalas pointed out that the school items are included in the provisions on the profit ceiling and for this there will be direct checks by DIMEA.
The maximum fine for related violations has been increased fivefold to 5 million euros following a legislative initiative by the Ministry of Development.
It is recalled that according to Law 5116/2024: “…until December 31, 2024, it is prohibited to make a gross profit from the sale of any product or the provision of any service necessary for health, nutrition, living, movement, heating, the production of hot water for use and the safety of the consumer, as well as from the sale of school supplies and agricultural products and food, in particular raw materials for the production of fertilizers, animal feed, raw cereals of all kinds, flour, sunflower vegetable oils, when the margin of gross profit per unit exceeds the corresponding gross profit margin per unit before 31 December 2021.’
Businesses are in favor of the basket
Both supermarket chains and large toy and technology chains, as well as some bookstores, have pledged to participate in the initiative of the Ministry of Development.
“We as an Association will do everything possible to lighten the family budget ahead of this school year” said Costas Gerardos, president of SELPE and vice president and CEO of the Plaisio chain.
At the same time, however, the permanence of interventionist government measures seems to be troubling the market.
“In the last few months, the Greek business is also being tested, because it sees the demand decrease, its costs increase, mainly in transport and energy, and at the same time bears the burden of transferring the responsibility of the government’s social policy to it. These facts, combined with the perpetuation of interventionist government measures, put the “core” of the Greek economy, which is every Greek company, in a very difficult financial position”, noted Mr. Gerardos.
Ms. Scagia, managing director of Th.K. Skagias ABEE (SKAG), representing the stationery sector, highlighted another aspect, which has to do with the competitive conditions between smaller businesses and supermarket chains.
What’s in the basket?
The “school supplies basket” includes, as last year, at least one product from the following categories:
- School bags
- Caskets
- Notebooks/pads (and notebook labels and covers)
- Wooden or mechanical pencils
- Colored markers/stick paints
- Pen
- Erasers
- Scrapers
- Diabetes
- Rulers (set of geometrical instruments)
- Photocopy paper
Business obligations
The debtors send to the Ministry of Development a list of consumer products on a weekly basis, every Wednesday by 9:00 am.
Informing the consumer public about the products participating in the initiative is mandatory:
- Through a special mark placed on the products or in their physical or electronic sales area or in any means by which the products are advertised to the consumer,
- by posting, at the entrance of each store, a clear list/catalogue of the products that make up the household basket as well as the prices at which the products are offered and
- through at least one separate point of sale, in a prominent position of the store, where the products are placed and made available to the consumer public.
Businesses participating in the initiative can gain access to the special badge by sending a request to the email address [email protected]. Also, they must ensure that the products declared in the list of consumer products sent to the Ministry of Development are in their stores in sufficient quantity and are available to the consumer public.
If stocks of a participating product run out in one or more stores, businesses must temporarily replace the out-of-stock product with a similar product available at the same or lower price and in the same or greater quantity.
If there is no such product in the store, the obligees ensure the supply of the store in which the product sold out within two days with a sufficient quantity of the sold-out product or inform the Ministry of Development and Investments and the e-katanalotis digital platform for its definitive replacement product in all their stores.
The new product should also be in adequacy. Definitive product replacement is allowed only once until the new regular product catalog submission.
Source: ot.gr
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