site.btaAffordable for You Initiative Results in 10-40% Fall in Prices of Some Staple Food

A month after the launch of the Affordable for You initiative, there has been a reduction of at least 10% in the prices of some basic food commodities, and for some products it has reached up to 40%, compared to the prices of these commodities before the initiative, the Economy and Industry Ministry reported on Friday.

Over the past week, the price of oil, rice and oranges has fallen by up to 40%. The price reduction for cheese and yellow cheese is up to 22%. The price of other basic food items such as eggs, beans, chicken and yoghurt has also dropped.

The Affordable for You initiative is implemented in partnership between the Ministry of Economy and Industry and each individual business operator voluntarily accepting the terms of the initiative, and covers the provision of seven product groups from the small consumer basket, meeting the usual quality requirements and containing all the necessary products for a varied diet, including: bread, sugar and grain products, such as flour, bread, pasta, sugar, rice, kidney beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, meat and meat products including fresh pork, fresh chicken, fish, sausages, minced meat, milk, dairy products and eggs, including fresh milk between 1% and 4% fat, UHT milk, yoghurt, yellow cheese, white cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, fruit, including apples, grapes, citrus and tropical fruits, other fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, peppers, ripe onions, garlic, leeks, root vegetables, leafy greens, other fresh vegetables, potatoes, canned vegetables, animal and vegetable oils and fats, vinegar and salt, etc.

The initiative was launched on November 15 in around 200 stores across the country of three of the nationally represented retail chains. In one month, 13 partners have already signed up, including regional chain stores from the regions of Varna, Burgas, Shumen, Targovishte, Sliven, Pleven, Pazardzhik, Sofia, among others. The number of outlets where consumers can find the reduced-price goods is now over 400.

Economy and Industry Minister Bogdan Bogdanov said that his ministry aims to attract more participants to the initiative, reaching "every corner of the country".