The media president of the strategic committee of the E. Leclerc centers, Michel-Edouard Leclerc, estimated Thursday on BFMTV / RMC that "
half of the price increases
" requested by the agro-food manufacturers "
are not transparent and are suspect
", and called on Parliament to look into it.
Read alsoFrom food to transport, how inflation weighs on the purchasing power of the French on a daily basis
"
I would like the deputies (...) to open a commission of inquiry into the origins of inflation, into what is happening on the price front from transport to consumers
", he added. he explained, judging that “
many of the increases requested are increases in anticipation, even speculation
”.
Faced with soaring production costs linked to the recovery of the post-Covid-19 economy as well as the war in Ukraine, the government called on distributors and agri-food manufacturers in mid-March to get back around the table to review the contracts just signed on March 1 following commercial negotiations.
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These contracts fix the price of some of the products that will be sold during the year in supermarkets and the first round of negotiations led to an average increase of 3% in the prices charged by manufacturers to distributors.
However, today believes Michel-Edouard Leclerc, these renegotiations have "
given the premium to the higher bid
".
“
When a supplier arrives with his invoices, he is asked for transparency.
I understand that small businesses (are strongly affected by) the price of glass, aluminum
,” he said.
"
For the little ones than us, we have discernment and we (accept) their increases
" in price.
On the other hand, he stigmatized “
the large international companies
” which arrived “
with transport bills (increasing) of 15, 20, 30%
”, in particular the price of containers which increased by 30% “
.
This, while
"the transport companies take out billions in profits last year", he said.
Another example, the "manufacturers of chocolate or cocoa products who invoke Ukraine for a 15% tariff increase on chocolate bars or confectionery..."
, he added, calling on parliamentarians to
"ask everyone to justify their share of the increase".