civic logic clashes with economic logic

Cancel all taxes on all food and hygiene products: the RPPRAC position is based on a good principle. Namely that all consumers must have access to all ranges of everyday consumer products.

Underlying this is the idea that as French citizens, we have the right to have a varied, healthy and inexpensive diet, like everywhere in France. Which requires, if the decision is made, to give time to the stakeholders concerned to get in tune, from the supplier to the retail store, including freight forwarders, carriers and service providers at the ports of departure and arrival of containers.

Without forgetting the State and CCTM services for updating administrative procedures. However, is this request realistic? Civic logic may clash with economic logic.

However, price alignment will have a lasting impact on local production sectors. First, farmers, breeders and fishermen. How will these producers be able to resist if consumers find cheaper equivalent products on self-service? This is already the case today.

We are forced to buy grapes from Italy, oranges from Colombia, tomatoes from Santo Domingo, frozen fish from Vietnam, instead of foodstuffs from our land and our sea, which are insufficient in volume or too expensive.

Then, the industry will be threatened by the drop in prices of products coming from elsewhere. This sector is literally driven by the agri-food sector. How will producers of yogurts, ice creams, fruit juices, jams, cold meats, pastries, coffee or bottled water be able to resist? They are already facing equivalent products that are often more expensive than theirs, thanks to dock dues. Without this protectionist tax, how will they survive?

Finally, the third source of economic losses for the territory will concern communities. As dock dues are canceled or lowered on all consumer products, revenues from this tax will be lower. The municipalities and the CTM will be forced to reduce their spending, to the detriment of the population.

Sometimes a legitimate claim can have the exact opposite effect to that intended. Unless we overhaul our archaic system, this demand is not about to be met immediately.