The Party of Socialists (PSRM) proposes providing subsidies to persons whose pensions are lower than 3,000 lei in connection with the rise in bread prices. It also demands to withdraw the Ministry of Economy’s initiative to annul the provisions of the law on domestic trade stipulating that 50% of the length of shelves in retail outlets should be occupied by national agrifood products, IPN reports.

MP Tatiana Kunetski told a press briefing that the heat, gas, fuel and electricity prices increased considerably the past six months. The prices of consumer goods, including essential products, also grew. The price of bread rose by 17-37% or about 1.50 lei per loaf of bread. In the wake of such rises, the state is obliged to take measures for any person to have decent living conditions that would secure their health and wellbeing.

The MP noted the Socialists drafted a bill to introduce subsidies of 100 lei a month for each person with a pension lower than 3,000 lei in connection with the higher bread prices.

Ex-minister of agriculture Ion Perju, consultant of the parliamentary group of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, criticized the Ministry of Economy’s initiative to annul the provisions stipulating that 50% of the length of shelves in retail outlets should be occupied by national agrifood products. He said the proposed changes will have a disastrous effect on small and medium-sized agricultural producers that now face serious problems in selling their goods on the domestic market owing to the increase in the prices of fuels, seeds and phytosanitary products. BCS demands that the Government, through the National Food Safety Agency, should monitor the level of implementation of the law on domestic trade, in accordance with the amendments that took effect on July 1, 2021, while the Ministry of Economy should withdraw the initiative to annul the aforementioned provisions.

After a number of national bakeries, including the largest bakery “Franzeluta”, raised bread prices, Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu in a TV program said the state will not leave the citizens to cope by themselves with the upsurges and will raise pensions and salaries.