Government to abolish flour stamps on January 1, 2019

The Government of Serbia has abolished the Decree on Excise Stamps for Flour, adopted 12 years ago as an attempt to counter the gray market activities in the baking and mill industry.

Starting with January 1, 2019, producers will no longer be obliged to put hologram stamps on each flour package, which is an annual expense of around RSD 30 million.

This is also part of the recent agreement between Serbian Minister of Trade Rasim Ljajic and Macedonian Vice Premier Koco Angjusev for both countries to stop displaying flour stamps, facilitate the mutual trade and reduce costs.

The Decree was adopted in 2006 at the initiative of millers who claimed that a third of wheat and flour production in the sector couldn't be traced, as their sale was not registered. It's interesting that the government is now withdrawing these regulations precisely under the pressure of the associations which had originally advocated their implementation and whose representatives now claim that “the stamps have not produced the expected results”, as illegal sale of flour is still a big problem.

Vlada Republike Srbije

Vlada na Republika Severna Makedonija Skopje

Decree on Excise Stamps for Flour

Ministry of Trade Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia

Rasim Ljajic

Government of Macedonia

Koco Angjusev

illegal sale of flour

stamps for flour

abolition of flour stamps

gray economy

countering gray economy baking industry

flour

trade cooperation between Serbia and Macedonia

bakeries