Market is stable, save for some bottled water shortages

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic has said that there is no shortage of basic foodstuffs, except bottled water in some places, but this is being compensated for through humanitarian aid.

Bottled water is almost unavailable in Ljubovija and Krupanj, two municipalities in western Serbia badly hit by flash floods, and Paracin, central Serbia, but drinking water is being supplied as part of humanitarian aid.
“I believe that we can ensure market stability. We have sufficient quantities of stockpiles and we will intervene if there are any disturbances on the market in terms of supply and price volatility,” Ljajic said for Novi Sad-based TV Vojvodina on Monday.

He said that the stockpiles have been opened to provide corn for livestock feed, together with 85 tons of flour, meat products, and milk powder, and construction materials, medicines, pharmaceuticals and wheat are ready to be provided if needs arise.

Speaking on repairing damages, the minister said that a donation from the Turkish government provided a sufficient number of drying machines that will render it possible to make flooded buildings habitable very soon, but the biggest problem is the fact that about 1,700 houses are of no use for housing at the moment and they will have to be thoroughly repaired.

Photo Tanjug/N. Milosevic, archive