In a collaborative effort to ensure the stability of essential food products in Malta, a significant agreement has been reached between the government, supermarket owners, and food importers. Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri jointly announced this agreement, signalling a commitment to the stabilisation of local prices.

The agreement, set to take effect in February, aims to stabilise prices for 15 categories of essential foods. Minister Schembri emphasised that extensive studies were conducted to identify the most consumed food products in Malta, leading to the prioritisation of these 15 categories. The collaborative effort reportedly guarantees that approximately 400 essential products will not see an increase in price until the next year’s budget.

It was also stated how, while inflation is going down across Europe, it is going down slower in Malta, with Eurostat predicting that food inflation in the EU will go down from around 6% to 2.4%.

A letter has also been sent to grocery shop owners, explaining the procedure of what can be done so the small business owners benefit for this agreement, in addition to a 153 freephone for further information.

Categories are as follows:

– Corned beef
– Cornflakes
– Cream crackers
– Fresh/frozen minced/ground beef/pork
– Fresh/frozen pork chops
– Frozen raw chicken legs
– Frozen raw whole chicken
– Frozen peas, broccoli, spinach
– Black tea
– Instant coffee
– Tinned tuna in vegetable/soya/sunflower oil (excluding tuna in brine and olive oil)
– Vegetable spreads in tubs or foil
– Frozen friable french fries
– Skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk in cartons
– Wheat spaghetti and penne

The tripartite agreement between the government, supermarket owners, and food importers underscores the importance of cooperation in maintaining a stable and sustainable local market.

#MaltaDaily