PRESS: Govt not to cede functions to retail self-regulation

MOSCOW, Mar 27 (PRIME) – The Russian government would welcome the establishment of a self-regulating organization in retail but the government must retain some controlling functions, such as price and fine regulation, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak told business daily Kommersant in an interview published on Wednesday.

He also said that a permit to establish a self-regulated organization was granted on condition that all market participants will participate in it. “The issue is to what extent all participants of this complex process are ready to follow these agreements. But we must under no circumstances pass the right to regulate prices, fines to the professional community. It must take care of service standards, best practice dissemination, such things.”

Kozak said, commenting on reemerging complaints from food producers about the difficulty to access large retailers, that the retail business remains competitive in general and that the government will discuss the criteria of qualifying a retailer as dominating on regional markets.

Market participants have agreed to cut the acquiring rate for pay cards in healthcare and education organizations and in the segments of cars and real estate, but the problem with small business acquiring rate remains.

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