SPAR willing to seek EU help protesting Hungary's supervision fee

Rudolf Staudinger told an Austrian television channel that a major hike to the supervision fee payable by food retail chains in Hungary causes the group competitive disadvantage, as it is burdens foreign-owned chains almost exclusively. He added that SPAR would like to ask help from Brussels in this matter, but trusts that before that happens they could discuss the issue with the Hungarian cabinet.

SPAR is concerned that the government deliberately wants to plunge foreign-owned chains into losses so that they would exit the country. Staudinger reminded that locally-owned CBA and Coop chains have to pay negligible sums as supervision fee because they operate in a franchise system.

• Tags:
• food,
• spar,
• economy,
• companies,
• austria,
• retail chain