site.btaFour Organizations Call for Supermarket Boycott on February 13, Expect Government to Support Consumers

Four organizations announced a boycott of retail chains and grocery stores on Thursday, February 13, Velizar Enchev, coordinator of the initiative and former Bulgarian ambassador to Croatia, said at a press conference at the BTA National Press Club here on Monday. The organizations are the Consumers' Federation in Bulgaria, Affordable and Quality Food Association, The System Is Killing Us, and the United Pensioners' Union. The boycott, whose initiators believe will have an impact, was also supported by former ombudsman Maya Manolova.  

"We expect the Bulgarian government to stand behind consumers, not behind retail chains. "This will not be a one-off action," Enchev said. He also read out an address by the organizers, which said that in recent weeks there has been a drastic increase in the prices of basic foods. "This is a price blow for the 800,000 pensioners who live below the poverty line and for the working poor in Bulgaria. Why does the same product in the same retail chain have higher prices in our country than in the same retail chain in Germany, Austria, for example", the address reads. "On February 13 there should not be a single shopper in the shops, let us show the traders that there is an angry civil society that will not tolerate price arbitrariness", Enchev added.

Enchev said that BSP - United Left have already submitted a bill to cap the surcharges on basic foods, and that MRF - New Beginning has a similar bill.

Nelly Dimitrova from The System Is Killing Us added that Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov believes that there is no way for direct intervention by the State in the commodities market. According to her, this means these retailers enjoy political support.

Emil Georgiev, Chairman of the Consumer Federation in Bulgaria, pointed out that the Bulgarian consumer is one of the most inactive in the European Union. "We hope that with this initiative we will reach every Bulgarian producer, through the protest we will put pressure on the government, on the National Assembly", he added. 

According to Petyo Dafinkichev, editor-in-chief of the Retirees newspaper, the most important thing is that pensioners unite through this initiative.

Maya Manolova stressed that the cause is nationwide and already has its success, which is reflected in the fact that it is a major topic in the Bulgarian media and social networks. To criticism that such a boycott is not a market measure, she said that the principles of the market economy have long been "run over" by the retail chains themselves.

"The government and the parliamentary groups should say whether they support the citizens' campaign for a supermarket boycott by February 13", Manolova insisted. She said we can hardly expect correct data from the supermarket chains on the effect of the boycott, but it is a form of civil pressure aimed at ensuring proper prices in Bulgarian food chains.