Following the enforcement of the new Regulation on Margin Determination in the Trade of Goods at the beginning of May, the Republic Market Inspection Service started controlling the application of this Regulation. So far, 61 inspections have been carried out in commercial establishments, in 15 of which it was found that the margin defined by the Regulation was exceeded, resulting in fines totalling 150,000 BAM.

Deviations were found for various types of products, including frozen vegetables, dairy products, hygiene products, and others. Although the established exceedances typically amounted to around 10 pfennigs, any deviation from the prescribed margin constitutes a violation and a basis for imposing the prescribed fine.

According to the new Regulation, the penalty for not adhering to the defined margins ranges from 7,000 BAM to 10,000 BAM for legal entities, from 3,000 BAM to 5,000 BAM for responsible persons in legal entities, and from 3,000 BAM to 6,000 BAM for entrepreneurs. Based on legal authorizations, inspection bodies can only impose the lowest defined fines, while higher fines can be imposed by courts.

Additionally, during the mentioned inspections, inspectors also noted other types of irregularities in the sales outlets related to issuing receipts, maintaining business books, records, and similar, resulting in fines amounting to 16,400 BAM for traders.

With the adoption of the new Regulation, the list and scope of products with limited margins have been significantly expanded, and we believe that the relevant ministry was guided by realistic indicators and estimates of consumer needs when drafting the Regulation. The Republic Market Inspection will continue with price formation inspections in the coming period, monitor the situation on the ground, and adjust its work as required by the situation.