ZAGREB, Jan 5 (Hina) - The recent increase in the prices of bread, which have gone up 10 percent on average, will make retail prices go up 0.3 and the costs of living 0.5 percent, Economy Minister Branko Vukelic said on Monday at a
government session which analysed the causes of the higher prices of bread.
ZAGREB, Jan 5 (Hina) - The recent increase in the prices of bread,
which have gone up 10 percent on average, will make retail prices go
up 0.3 and the costs of living 0.5 percent, Economy Minister Branko
Vukelic said on Monday at a government session which analysed the
causes of the higher prices of bread.#L#
Agriculture Minister Petar Cobankovic said 56,000 tonnes of wheat, an
amount sufficient for six weeks, would be processed soon in order to
appease the wheat and flour market.
The prices of wheat and flour have increased due to the lower wheat
yield, which last year was 40 percent lower than in 2002. Although
quantities are insufficient, last year 130,000 tons of wheat was
exported and about 7-8,000 tons was imported.
Cobankovic said the former government should have reacted on time and
introduced the export price of wheat sooner than it did.
Of the aforementioned 56,000 tons, 30,000 is wheat Croatia imported
free of tax, with the approval of the World Trade Organisation, due to
last year's disastrous droughts.
Cobankovic said the European Commission had been requested for a quota
for the import of another 50,000 tons of wheat.
The new government has announced it will introduce an export duty for
flour which will be exported. The export duty for wheat was introduced
by the previous, Ivica Racan Cabinet.
Members of the government also pointed to the problem of the grey
market.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said some analyses showed the prices of
bread had gone up without reason. He called on traders to reconsider
and return the prices to those from December and to reduce margins.
(Hina) ha