Ministry of Trade prepares new rules for supermarket shelves

The Ministry of Trade has launched work to revise the rules in the retail trade sector. The draft aims to make commercial relations among producers, suppliers and retail businesses fairer, more transparent and sustainable.

Under the regulation, the name of the “Regulation on the Principles and Rules to be Applied in Retail Trade” is planned to be changed to the “Regulation on the Principles and Rules to be Applied in the Supply Chain.” It is envisaged that the concepts of producer and supplier will be added to the regulation's purpose and scope sections, and that the definitions of “producer,” “supplier” and “agricultural and food product that can spoil within thirty days” will be updated.

The draft also includes steps aimed at making payment processes faster and clearer. In this context, a lookup screen is planned to be created within the Ministry of Trade to facilitate SME identification processes.

One of the prominent topics in the new regulation will be women's cooperatives. The aim is to give priority on chain supermarket shelves to regional products produced by cooperatives whose members are mostly women. With this step, the ministry aims to strengthen women's labor participation in economic life and increase the visibility of local production.

The draft also includes regulations aimed at facilitating access to staple food products. With new practices for large bakeries capable of mass bread production, the aim is to ensure that bread reaches consumers at more affordable prices.