Socially significant products. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on essential food products

Socially significant products are those that are most popular among the population. At the legislative level, not only their list is established, but also the pricing mechanism. Given the constantly changing social picture, the list of goods can both expand and narrow.

How is the list formed?

The list, which includes socially significant products, is created at the government level and is fixed in the legislation. This list was formed in 2010. Since then, certain items have been added to it. Nevertheless, for many consumers, the question of how such lists are drawn up remains open.

This function is assigned to social services. An analysis is carried out on what products are most in demand in the markets, in supermarkets and other outlets. As a result, a certain list is made, which includes socially significant products. The government's task is to make this category of goods as accessible to all segments of the population as possible through price restraint.

Socially significant products: list

At the legislative level, a list of goods is identified, the price and quality of which are subject to close monitoring. These are socially significant products. The list and characteristics are given in the table below.

Upcoming changes

The list of socially significant products is constantly changing. Some names disappear from the list, while others are replenished. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has been concerned about the rise in the price of coffee. Considering that the delivery has significantly risen in price, for the end user the cost has grown by almost 40% per year. Thus, there are proposals to make this product on the list of socially significant ones in order to be able to freeze the price in case of its uncontrolled growth.

Prices for socially significant products

The most important task of the government is the formation of mechanisms for providing the population with affordable and high-quality goods. The main indicator that determines socially important food is price. According to the latest statistical research, the situation on the market is the following.

A little bit about pricing

Oddly enough, the question of pricing for socially important food products is still open. Nevertheless, the Government Decree establishes certain restrictions. So, if within a month the cost of a particular group of goods grows by 30% or more, the authorities can freeze it for ninety days in the territory of the entire RF or a separate region. During this period, a specialized audit will be conducted to determine the significant reasons for this increase in prices.

Perspective solutions

The issue of state regulation of prices has been raised several times, but there is still no single solution on this issue. There is reason to believe that there will be no ceiling on prices for socially important products. The mark-up is likely to become the main restrictive tool. Depending on the category of goods, it can vary from 20 to 30%. It is not clear, it will apply to the price of the manufacturer or wholesale value.

Proceeding from the bill "On the fundamentals of state regulation of trading activities," we can say that, most likely, restrictions on the mark-up will be imposed on the products of a particular manufacturer. At the same time, its market share should be at least 15%. It is proposed to introduce state regulation for a period of 180 days.

Other Possible Limitations

A number of deputies suggest amending the Federal Law "On the Basics of State Regulation of Trade Activities in the Russian Federation." In accordance with them, the maximum mark-up on food products of basic necessity should not exceed 15%. The practice of limiting the cost of certain product groups is widespread in the world. Such systems are successfully operating in Austria, Norway, Denmark and other countries.

The absence of such a mechanism in the domestic market leads to the fact that the mark-up is on the average 50%, and in some cases reaches 100%. For comparison, it should be noted that in the EU this figure is not higher than 25%. And that the consumer was sure that he was not being deceived, it was suggested that the final seller be required to indicate the purchase price next to the price of the goods.

Opinion of entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs have well-founded claims to the authorities. They are that, in trying to adjust prices for certain types of food products, officials are treating the issue superficially. So, the constant rise in price of fuel and energy resources is not taken into account. And in this regard, entrepreneurs propose first of all to exert state influence on strategic industries. This will allow traders to get the maximum profit with a small margin.

Public opinion

The overwhelming majority of the population of the Russian Federation lived during the times of the USSR, when the maximum trade mark-up was 12%, and if it was socially important goods, 8%. It is quite understandable the ever growing discontent with the present value of food products. In this regard, the website "Russian Public Initiative" was posted the following proposal to limit the trading margin.

Main problem

As noted above, socially important products should be accessible to all segments of the population. This implies the establishment of a price threshold and continuous monitoring of its observance. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to understand that for accessibility it is sometimes necessary to pay for quality. On the shelves of stores a lot of products, which for a number of signs are unfit for consumption. And this despite the fact that for some categories of goods, state compensation for part of the cost of production. Thus, it becomes a question not only of price control, but also of continuous quality monitoring.

Non-food products

Despite the importance of regulating food prices, do not forget about the role of non-food products. Until recently (until the law was amended), such economic belongings included socially significant ones:

• toilet soap;
• laundry soap;
• Synthetic detergents;
• Toothpaste;
• toothbrushes;
• Shaving accessories;
• Stationery (ballpoint pens, pencils and notebooks);
• Sewing accessories (yarn and needle);
• Incandescent lighting (up to 60 W);
• linens;
• Underwear.

Negative trends

Prices for socially important goods are growing steadily. Given the lack of an effective regulatory mechanism, it is worth noting the following negative trends:

• Purchase of substandard and counterfeit goods;
• Replacement of domestic products with cheap imported products;
• The desire of the population to save, which leads to stagnant processes in the financial sphere.

Conclusion

At the moment, the problem of socially significant products has not been thoroughly elaborated by the government. Despite the fact that their list is indicated at the legislative level, there are no specific measures to regulate the price ceiling for them. At the moment, everything is at the stage of bills and civil initiatives. On this issue, it is important to take into account international experience. In addition, do not forget that when developing regulations, the interests of not only the end user, but also entrepreneurs, must be taken into account.