Massa’s first conclave with the main mass consumption companies

Debut with food

Two will be this Wednesday the key meetings by subject prices. at 13, Tombolini will meet for the first time with representatives of the Coordination of the Food Products Industries (Copal), the chamber that brings together more than 10,000 food and beverage companies. The meeting takes place after the official received supermarkets, and they commented on the problem of the lack of supply of Precious Care.

Among the issues to be discussed will obviously be the rise in prices: only in the last week of August, food inflation was 1.9%, and in the last four weeks it rose to 6.6% average, according to the private consultancy LCG. Far from measures such as fines or freezing, Tombolini’s request will be to “restore order” to prices, but, in addition, that the agreements that companies sign “effectively” be fulfilled, such as Care Prices.

Another issue that will be on the table is the debut of the front labeling law. Although some companies have already begun to change the containers and add the black octagons, others have requested an extension of 6 months and will file claims.

Then at 4 p.m. Massa will have his first meeting with businessmen from the mass consumption sector, after his assumption, three weeks ago. He will ask them to expand production, to add new shifts and lines, and prevent “bottlenecks” from transferring to prices. “These are processes that take time, so it is a good time to place the order,” commented official sources. It will be in the Ministry of Economy, with Pesce and Tombolini. It is that in addition to the request to try to stop the inertia, one of the central themes of the meeting will be imports.

With a Central Bank that fails to accumulate strong reserves, and after a new trade deficit data, the Government adds three new measures to review imports. On the other hand, the manufacturers will take the requests to oil the approval of Simis and that there is no lack of supplies for the production of essential goods. The Government’s claim will be that prices adjust to the official dollar. “The drop in line is that of order: prices and dollars,” they commented. But in addition, in the Government they admit that a process of “reshoring” and substitution of imports of products, especially Asian ones, implies having to secure the dollars, they said.

Executives and CEOs from companies such as Unilever, Quilmes, PyG, Coca Cola, Molinos and Arcor will participate. From the companies they also await the request of the Government to channel the pesos to the capital market, in a context of high liquidity for many and financial need of the Treasury.

Agreement with laboratories

This Tuesday, Tombolini reached an agreement in principle with the laboratories, in a meeting with the Ministry of Health, in claim to the increases made during August. In July, the chambers and the Government agreed on a price increase path that was at least one point below inflation, for a period of 2 months. There were 193 products that did not comply, with increases that reached 35.5% in just two months, above the 11% scheduled, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The laboratories with the highest number of non-compliances were, according to the same source, Elea, HLB Pharma, Montpellier and Soubeiran Chobet. After the official claim, 123 medicines lowered their prices and now Commerce will monitor them for the next 48 hours while waiting for the other 70 pending ones to “adjust”. If not, they will convene “one-on-one” meetings with the companies, and progress will be made with measures, official sources anticipated. The official expectation is that they adhere, given that this was transmitted by the cameras present.

At the meeting, progress was also made on the future of a new agreement, given that it ended at the end of August. According to private sector sources, the Government asked them to extend it as it is, for at least two more months, at least until October. “They asked to renew, and I already tell you that we will surely move forward, we prefer this before something crazy like freezing arises,” they said from a laboratory. Formal meetings will begin next week at the Ministry of Health.

Anyway, from the cameras there was also a claim for the increase in prepaid. The objective posed by the Government is to try to “influence as little as possible” on the CPI. In the last year, the health category was above the general level (76.4% against 71.8%), but with a different impact depending on the openings: medicinal products were below (67.5%), while prepaid well above (96%), despite being a regulated price.