Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić said that only the recovery of the overall economy can affect the growth of retail sales.

Rasim Ljajić does not expect the price increases announced by some experts, because, by all estimates, he said, the year will be bountiful.

“Wheat crop will be sufficient for domestic needs, and we’ will have about one million tons for export. The corn product will be about 5.7 million tons, while 4.5 million tons is sufficient for domestic demand,” said Ljajić, in an interview for “Dnevnik RTS”.

As for reserves, the Minister said that we have sufficient stocks of wheat.

Ljajić said that the fruit yield was plentiful, and that only the yield of raspberries will be lower by about 20 percent due to inclement weather.

According to the Minister of Trade, the first five months of this year saw a minimal increase in retail sales of 1.4 per cent.

“Only if we have growth in sales in the following quarter, can we talk about a mild recovery in trade,” said Ljajić, adding that the retail chains in the region recorded a decrease in turnover.

Ljajić stressed that trade is not an isolated economic activity and that it cannot “carry the weight” of the other branches of economy on its own.

“Only the recovery of the overall economy can affect the growth of retail sales,” said the Minister of Trade.

Commenting on the adopted amendments to the Labor Law, Ljajić said that we all have to get used to “the need for change and that we have to live with the times.”

According to him, there was a lot of general rather than specific criticism of the amendments, although “everyone agreed that it should be changed.”

“We found a way to protect workers, and to still do everything to strengthen the economic activity in the country. You cannot protect the workers if you have no employment and wage growth,” said Ljajić.

He pointed out that, in the EU accession process, the adoption of a new labor law is still pending.