Coronavirus – Opposition calls on government to freeze basic food prices

Photo: MTI/Kovács Tamás

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) has called on the government to freeze the prices of basic foodstuffs as part of its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Citing press reports, DK spokesman Balázs Barkóczi told an online news conference that certain retailers had significantly raised their food prices in the recent period.

Barkóczi called on the government to apply tough sanctions against any retailers who introduce such price increases.

The easiest way to do this, he said, was to regulate the prices of basic foodstuffs, which the government was authorised to do in a state of emergency.