Minister Planas defends Juan Roig: “Businessmen are doing a great job”

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has defended this Thursday the president of Mercadona, Juan Roig, and the agri-food sector in general after criticism from the general secretary of Podemos and minister of Social Rights, Ione Belarra, who blamed large distribution companies to take advantage of the rise in prices to “make gold at the expense of the economic crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine.” Planas has specified that he was not going to refer to names or surnames, or to any specific company, but that “in a social market economy like the one included in our Constitution, each one plays their role and the businessmen, creating wealth and employment , They are doing a great job”.

The minister, visiting the Valencian Community, has stressed, on several occasions, that the sector is doing its job “very well”. “Distribution is competitive and efficient and whoever does it worse is marginalized by the competition,” he pointed out. Planas has ensured that a follow-up is being carried out “so that each one assumes their responsibility” but it has also meant that they have not only transferred the VAT reduction adopted by the Government for some products in order to fight against inflation, but also that some have taken additional measures.

Luis Planas has placed himself within the “classical school” that demands “education and respect when political opinions are expressed” and has not openly criticized Belarra, described Roig as a “ruthless capitalist”, but has pointed out that “he You can speak and disagree without offending anyone.

The president of the Valencian Generalitat, Ximo Puig, has agreed on this, who, in any case, has been more scathing: “You can have different ideas but, objectively, the statements are unfair and do not attend to the reality of the facts.” In addition, he has expressed his surprise because the “attack” has been carried out against a Valencian company, when there are distributors in other territories.