Competition Authority’s remit needs revision

AS FOOD costs start to rise for the first time in decades any proposition claiming to lead to cheaper food prices is hard to resist.

In its report into the retail planning system, published earlier this month, the Competition Authority said the cap on the size of retail stores should be lifted.

That restriction was blocking new entrants, especially low-cost sellers from coming into the market, and denying Irish consumers access to cheaper goods, it argued.