The First Vice President and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, announced today that she plans to meet, together with the Minister of Consumption, Alberto Garzón, with consumer associations and large retailers, with the aim of reaching an agreement among them to fix a shopping basket “basic, absolutely legal and that does not violate the right of competition”. According to the second vice president, it would be a question of establishing a series of products –between 20 or 30– that are guaranteed to citizens. “This is not a law, it is an agreement and it does not violate the right of competition”, explained Díaz in statements to the media upon his arrival at the welcome ceremony offered by the State Attorney General, Álvaro García Ortiz, on the occasion of his inauguration. Díaz had advanced this proposal in an interview with eldiario.es collected by Europa Press, where the head of Labor opted to reach an agreement with large distribution and consumers to cap the prices of a basket of basic products such as bread, milk, eggs or fruit. “What we propose is that they reach an agreement between them and we establish a basic shopping basket, absolutely legal and without violating the right of competition, and we establish a series of products, between 20 or 30, that we guarantee to citizens” , explained the vice president. As Díaz explained, food is being a huge problem for the country today and not only for citizens, but also for small and medium producers in our country. In addition, she has warned that citizens are not only losing purchasing power, but are also experiencing difficulties in maintaining a healthy diet. Díaz has recalled that a maximum price has already been set for the butane cylinder because it was understood that it was an absolutely exceptional moment. “We are at war, we are unfortunately in a crisis and we have an inflation of 10.4%”, argued the Minister of Labor. Planas rules out a tax on distribution The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, in an interview with Europa Press, ruled out imposing a tax on the distribution sector, but asked for responsibility so that the rise in prices is “what limited as possible”, while considering that setting a minimum price on essential goods and food products is not legally possible, nor is it “desirable”. Regarding the possibility of a tax on distribution, as claimed by his government partner United We Can, Planas affirmed that the taxes applied to the financial and energy sector “are full of logic”, although this is not the case with distribution. “I don’t think that is the case, at the moment, with distribution, at least until now, I want to say that all the elements of the chain, including distribution, have behaved correctly. I hope it will do so in the immediate future as well.” “said the Minister of Agriculture. Also the Government spokesperson and Minister of Territorial Policy, Isabel Rodríguez, pointed out this Monday that the measures that the Executive has been adopting so far in the face of the increase in prices go “in another direction” in relation to the proposal of the Minister of Labor and second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, who advocates putting a cap on the price of basic foods. In an interview in Cuatro, Rodríguez stressed that Díaz is “going deeper” into this approach and “we are going to see what he is proposing”, but “today the strength of the Government towards the citizenry is in reinforcing the purchasing power of those people who value it and at the same time also help the productive sectors”. In this sense, she stressed that the Executive has put “its accent” and “its effort” in “helping and cushioning” the cost of the price increase. “Inflation is a very complicated issue and it must be managed in the best possible way so that it does not spiral into a spiral and I think we are right in all the measures that we are putting on the table,” she pointed out. In this regard, she clarified that the Government is “sensitive” and “aware” of the “difficulties” that families are going through. Therefore, she stressed that the Executive is “attacking the origin” of this problem, “which is the cost of energy.” “All of these products have become more expensive as a result of the war,” she added. For this reason, one of the derivatives in which the Executive of Pedro Sánchez is working, as the minister indicated, is to try to “limit the price of energy” and at the same time is “reinforcing” a path that already began with the coronavirus pandemic. the Covid-19, which is to help families to cushion this situation “also with public aid”. At the same time, he highlighted the fact that although the prices of both purchases and school supplies have increased, Spaniards have also benefited from various government measures “via transport vouchers, via scholarships, via 200 euros for the most disadvantaged or with 15% of the increase in non-contributory pensions”.