There is no need to panic, as all supermarkets and food distributors have sufficient stocks especially for essential items. We should be conscious and take care for citizens’ health and employees in markets, Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi said after Tuesday’s meeting with owners of the largest supermarket chains in the country.

Grocery stores are crowded with people. I urge citizens to make reasonable purchases and markets to make plans to meet the consumers’ needs, Bekteshi said.

Food distributors as well as the director of the Market Inspectorate attended the meeting.

The Government decided late yesterday to freeze prices of bread, salt, cooking oil, milk and dairy products, eggs, flour, meat, pasta, medicines and disinfectants as of the day when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic, except for those products having proof of higher entry invoices.

The decision has been taken in order to prevent abuse of the current market situation and protect consumers in time of rising demand due to the coronavirus developments.