The guild of retailers in the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK) on Tuesday sent a request to the economy ministry that the prices of the products inside the government's support package should be limited by capping margins rather than through final price freeze.

The capping of final prices affects the competitiveness of small retailers who cannot have the same cost prices as big retail chains, HOK says in a press release.

In some cases, small retailers have higher cost prices than the prices at which they can sell certain products, the association says.

Therefore, they have withdrawn such products from their shops as selling them at the capped prices causes them a direct loss.

Also, having the cost prices higher than the final price of products is against the Act on the Prohibition of Unfair Trading Practices in the Food Supply Chain, the press release reads.

Therefore, the guild asks for amending the decision on price capping, and that margins should be limited instead of price freeze.