All supermarkets in Cyprus will be required to reduce the price of packaging for fresh food. The new regulation will come into effect on January 1, 2024.

According to the statement from the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Cyprus, starting from the new year, the cost of freshly packaged goods in supermarkets must exclude the weight of the packaging.

The head of the consumer rights protection service at the ministry, Konstantinos Karagiorgis, confirmed that the measure will apply to all freshly packaged goods, including vegetables, fruits, meat delicacies, fish, and meat from the supermarket's meat counter. As a result, consumers will be charged only for the net weight of the product.

At the same time, the head of the supermarket association, Andreas Hadjiadamou, noted that the savings would be minimal since packaging only adds a few cents to the cost of the product.

It is expected that the difference for shoppers will only be noticeable for products whose packaging may weigh slightly more, such as trays made of polystyrene used for freshly ground or chunk meat.

He added that most supermarkets have already removed the cost of packaging when weighing products to maintain competitive prices.

Recall that last week,the government implemented a zero VAT rate on vegetables and meat to help combat the consequences of inflation.

This measure applies to all frozen or fresh vegetables and meat and will be in effect until May 31, 2024.