The state-owned food stores will not be located in the premises of"Bulgarian Posts", but will operate in the stores of the Central Cooperative Union (the COOP chain of stores - ed.) throughout the country. This is clear from a response by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF) to questions from Economic.bg sent under the Access to Public Information Act (APIA).

Although the company should have been established months ago and already be operational, the ministry is still preparing an order to be approved by the Council of Ministers for the establishment of the state-owned company"Shop for the People" EAD with 100% state participation.

The initial capital of the company is 10 million leva.

The Central Cooperative Union (CCU) is an association of individuals and legal entities,"who through mutual assistance and cooperation carry out commercial activities to satisfy their economic, social and cultural interests".

The idea of the CCU is to help small traders (individuals, companies and cooperatives) to market their products. While the idea of the state-owned stores is to maintain low prices for certain products, which are, however, produced by private companies. On the one hand, this comes from the idea of the Cooperative, and on the other - it is not clear how private companies will be forced to sell cheaper. One option is for CCU members to be forced to sell with lower markups.

These details are not yet clear, as the state is delaying its avant-garde idea.