Price Labeling: Towards Greater Transparency on Subsidized and Controlled Price Products

On Friday, the Council of Ministers agreed to revise the existing legislation on product labeling to improve the visibility of subsidy measures and price controls implemented by the government. The enforcement date for unit price requirements has also been postponed to July 1, 2026.

Currently, there are three main price regulation mechanisms in place. The first involves a fixed maximum price system applied to 13 essential products. The second is based on a maximum margin mechanism, where retail prices of 30 products are determined on a consignment basis. The third consists of a fixed quantum subsidy for 10 essential products, financed by the Price Stabilization Fund, to mitigate the impact of rising prices on households.

However, the Cabinet noted that despite this structured framework of price control and subsidies, consumers are not always able to clearly identify the relevant products due to the lack of visual indicators on the labels.

To address this situation, retailers will now be required to place clear and standardized identifiers on price labels: the designation "SP" for subsidized products and "MRP" for price-controlled products. This measure aims to enhance transparency in the retail market, facilitate informed choices for consumers, and improve the visibility of government interventions.

The Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection will make the necessary amendments to the existing legislation.