On Thursday morning, seven food giants showed up at the office of Minister of Industry Jan Christian Vestre (Ap) to answer why food prices are rising so quickly. In the past year, food prices have risen by 11.5 per cent. On 1 February, another price jump of up to 10 per cent is expected, according to news’s information. Following today’s meeting, Vestre and Food Minister Sandra Borch (Sp) announced three new measures to bring down food prices. But the government’s plans do not impress the parties in the Storting. The government’s new measures Margin study: To see where the margins in the value chain end up. The government wants more transparency in price formation and a greater insight into what happens to the price of a product from the time it leaves the farmer and ends up on the shop shelf. The Norwegian Competition Authority: The government will ask the Norwegian Competition Authority to check why what Vestre refers to as “extensive” price signaling in the market is taking place. The price windows: The government will investigate how price formation in the market actually takes place. Twice a year – in February and July – the players can increase prices. The government wants to gain a greater insight into how it actually takes place and how it works. Source: Press conference with Sandra Borch and Jan Christian Vestre. Calling the Vestre on the carpet in the Storting The Liberals are now asking the minister for business to come to the Storting to explain how he wants to bring food prices down. – While grocery prices have increased by 11.5 per cent in one year, the Minister for Business has done nothing but talk a lot about them and constantly order new studies. That’s what Liberal politician Alfred Bjørlo says. Liberal politician Alfred Bjørlo asks Minister of Industry Jan Christian Vestre (Ap) to come to the Storting to explain how he is going to bring food prices down. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB – Vestre has ignored that in the spring of 2022, Venstre and other parties in the Storting gave marching orders to the government to implement a whole arsenal of measures for more competition and lower prices for groceries. But so far none of what the Storting decided is in place, says Bjørlo. – All we have received is a lot of talk and media exposure. Today at the latest with notice of two new investigations. – Now the Left’s patience is over, he emphasizes. – Talking and talking Nor does the Conservative Party see itself as satisfied with the government’s efforts. – Vestre talks and talks about everything he has to do to bring prices down. It’s fine and dandy, but as usual little happens, says Conservative politician Lene Westgaard-Halle. She points out that the Storting raised a wide range of challenges related to competition in the grocery value chain before the summer. Right-wing politician Lene Westgaard-Halle is not satisfied with the government’s measures to reduce food prices. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB – Here the government was forced to follow up on a number of measures, including on price discrimination which Vestre was supposed to deliver to the Storting by the end of 2022. – We still haven’t heard anything other than a lot of words about everything he is going to do in the media, she adds. – Stay tuned Member of the business committee at the Storting Per Vidar Kjølmoen (Ap) believes the critics are wrong. – No one is surprised that the Conservatives and Liberals think that too little is happening, but it is striking that Westgaard-Halle herself does not follow the lesson. – The government sent two proposals on price discrimination for consultation in the autumn, and reported back to the Storting on this in December, he says. Per Vidar Kjølmoen is a member of the Business Committee at the Storting. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Kjølmoen points out that the Storting has adopted a number of measures to improve competition in the grocery market in both this and the previous parliamentary term and that the Labor Party has supported these. – What we need now is a responsible debate, and that together we are clear that all players in the grocery market must show social responsibility. Increased food prices The comparison of food prices and the wage trend says something about whether you get more, less or the same amount for your money. When the development of food prices is higher than the development of wages, it means that food has become more expensive. Both figures are averages for the specified period. Read more about sources and reservations here. How much food prices have increased in the past year, comparison with wage development Food Dec 2021 – Dec 2022 Wage development Forecast for 2022 – Must be followed up as soon as possible Deputy leader Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes in SV is positive that the government will now gather more knowledge, but clarifies that the job will not is completed. Deputy leader in SV Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news – It must be followed up by concrete measures as soon as possible if it turns out that the prices are set unreasonably high and the costs are disproportionately passed on to households in the middle of the peak season, he says. Fylkesnes says the government must understand that the question is about whose bottom line is to be saved. – Those who sit at the top of the list of Norway’s richest, or Norwegian households? he asks.
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– Patience is over – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
