Latvia to regulate retail market

The Latvian government aims to regulate its retail market. Transport Minister Ainars Slesers called on the government to speak to the largest retailers – Dutch Ahold and Lithuanian Maxima. He said that the two leading retailers had a monopoly in the market and should co-operate more with Latvian farmers. Slesers said: "We could make a friendly appeal and ask them to offer our (Latvian-made) goods in the stores. If they did not listen to the friendly appeal, the monopoly should be split. We let Ahold and Maxima develop their business, now they have to make concessions and support local producers or else we should move towards elimination of the monopoly."

www.planetretail.net