YUGOSLAV AGENCY TO PUBLISH COMMERCIAL REVIEW; DISCUSS SUPPLY PROBLEMS, PRICE VARIATIONS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
4
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
August 25, 2011
Sequence Number: 
249
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
July 11, 1951
Content Type: 
REPORT
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PDF icon CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1.pdf269.16 KB
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1 CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL ZNHFIDENT'IAL CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT INFORMATION FROM FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO. COUNTRY Yugoslavia SUBJECT Economic - Internal trade, agriculture HOW PUBLISHED WHERE PUBLISHED DATE PUBLISHED Daily newspapers Yugoslavia 28 Mar - 23 May 1951 Serbo-Croatian OI TIN UNIT,, r7Aiaa nin1- m- -?'._.__ r. a. c.. al AND $2. AS nun's', m laArarlaftor o, Ira o n is 1.0 N OF inoiTTLAN IN iooucno or TNli ions Is nwNIUIno. is SOURCE DATE OF INFORMATION 1951 DATE DIST. // Jul 1951 NO. OF PAGES 4 SUPPLEMENT TO REPORT NO. THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION YUGOSLnJ AGENCY TO PUBLISH COMMERCIAL REVIEW; DISCUSS SUPPLY PROBLEMS, PRICE VARIATIONS REVIEWS PROGRESS OF YUGOSLAV COMMERCE -- Zagreb, Borba, 23 May 51 Beginning with June the Yugoslav Commercial Agency will publish the Trgo- vinski Pregled (Commercial Review) in Belgrade. The Trgovinski Pregled will be issued every Wednesday, and will discuss commercial problems, especially prices. Freeing itself more and more from the distribution system, Yugoslav com- merce has progressed considerably within a short period. Commercial enterprises ngm the market. are displaying. greater initiative and are independently consumer entering They are discovering sources for purchasing goods consumer de in aquicktynt and e&sily, and decisively stating and other producers. and quality, This was brought about by widespread decentralization of the commercial ne~work, which is no longer bound by various administrative measures, inflexible distribution plans, and similar measures which previously regulated trade. Com- merical enterprise initiative also developed particularly after the introduc- tion of a new metnod of remuneration in trade, by which enterprises became mate-. rially interested in realizing more and more trade and steadily lowering prod.c- tion costs. Of substantial importance also is the transition to the free sale ,and free formation of prices of industrial consumers' goods and agricultural The commercial network has thus obtained broad potentialities fo- increasing trade, particularly for improving trade between villages and cities, and thus supplying the public better. All of this presents fairly complex problems to Yugoslav commerce as a whole, and especially to each commercial and production enterprise. The baBtc problem is for production and commerce to unite as quickly and as economically as possible. To-retain administrative ties which have heretofore frequently proved economically unsound would be harmful to both enterprises and consumers. Newspapers as indicated. -1- ~Oy~I~E1~TIAl CONFIDENTIAL Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1 The ties must be exclusively economic ones.. But these cannot be achieved imme- diately, nor can they be determined. by isolated srez, cities, or even republics, which has been proved by past experience in froe trade and the free formation of pri.ces.. The great variation in prices between different areas is a consequence of unsatisfactory connections between production and commerce. Prices were fre- quently determined according to supply and demand on the local market, or the functioning of economic laws in individual economic centers rather than in the nation as a whole, Such a situation permitted middlemen, purchasers, and their representatives to take advantage of the variation in prices, resell various products, and receive unwarranted and frequently very high profits, thereby increasing pricee Yugoslav commerce as a whole is not uniform, because of the disparity in the economic development of the republics and individual regions in the past, and because of the disparity in the distribution of industrial and agricul- tural production throughout Yugoslavia. From this was derived the local ten- dency to establish separate markets locally, causing still greater variations and contributing to a greater disparity in prices. Such weaknesses are gradually being removed. The prices of agricultural and industrial products in the free market are gradually becoming uniform on a general level which represents the real ratio between supply and demand throughout the nation, Contributing considerably to this is the Information Service of the Yugoslav Commercial Agency which was established 6 waeks ago. This service, through its information network, has aided the commercial and production enterprises in becoming familiar with the market situation, con- sumer demands, prices, and selling conditions. The Information Service has enabled trade organizations, without any administrative measures by the state, to obtain better and more varied goods more quickly, and to place them at the disposal of the consumer quickly, Commercial agencies heretofore made their reports on radio broadcasts, and at times through daily newspapers. These reports were quite incomplete and limited mainly to quoting prices in various economic centers Enterprises were unable to draw concrete conclusions from these reports, so that they could sell their goods where conditions were most satisfactory, and the com- mercial network could not intervene by moving large quantities of goods to places where prices were higher. Henceforth, the Commercial Agency, in its weekly newspaper, will review wholesale and retail prices in all important markets, present an analysis and commentary on the market situation, interpret new measures in commerce, pub- licize special area information, and in special articles explain all technical trade matters- Commercial and production enterprises will thus obtain a broad review of the situation in all Yugoslav markets They will come closer to the market, better sense consumer needs, and produce and sell goods of the quality and assortment which present conditions permit Yugoslavia to have and to sell. PRICES VARY CONSIDERABLY -- Zagreb, VJesnik, 3 Apr 51 The Information Service on Market Opportunities and Prices of Industrial Items, located in the most 'important cities in Yugoslavia, has been instrumen- tal in clarifying supply problems in the cities and in districts economically dependent on the cities. Wholese'e and retail commercial networks, and price C0U j Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1 CONFIDE TIAL offices of city and srez people's councils and production enterprises are quickly informed regarding the quantity of goods in individual markets, so that they can apportion their work and production according to existing circumstances and con- sumer demand. Considerable variations in the prices of some industrial items in individual _ities frequently arise because some commercial enterprises were influenced by a momentary situation of greater or lesser demand for the items concerned. They did not take into account that too low prices would quickly exhaust their inven- tory, or that their goods would remain unsold because of unjustifiably high prices which were not in accord with the general level of prices. Some recent examples show there is still a tendency to set separate "polit- ical prices" in some cities, or generally not to follow prices and the situation and in other markets, thus creating conditions for two 50 resale of goods. An ordinary vater glass (pressed rssp in Belgrade, 60 in Osijek, 120 in Rijeka, and 40 in Sarajevo. Window glass (2 millimeters thick) is being sold for 420 dinars in Zagreb; 500 in Rijeka; 600 in Osijek, Split, Subotica, and Novi Sad; 320 dinars in Skoplje, and 210 dinars in Bitolj. Laundry soap (from 60 to 62 percent fatty acids) is 340 to 350 dinars in Zagreb, Split, and Osijek; 450 to 600 in Rijeka, 280 in Subotica, and 325 to 400 in Belgrade, Skoplje, and Nis The pric-s of enamelware are not uniform because of the lack of interest or satisfactory marketing in Mostar, Bitolj, and Maribor, where a 3-liter enamel pot is being sold for 340 to 360 dinars, while a shortage of this item makes the price 445 dinars in Rijeka, 500 in Sarajevo, and over 1,000 in Banjaluka. Instead of the commercial network moving goods from areas of little demand to areas of greater demand as soon as possible, they permit unreasonably low prices on the one hand, and at the same time increase prices in other cities, These are not the only examples of unwarranted variations in the prices of industrial goods. If the price offices had stronger connections with the com- mercial enterprises, such price variations would not result> Price offices are responsible if the commercial network is slow or fails to act on the Information Service Reports. PRICES VARY FOR FARM TOOLS, CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS -- Zagreb, Vjesnik, 2 Apr 51 A significant variation exists in the prices of agricultural tools and con- struction materials in different cities. Price levels in some towns do not reflect the true condition of the market, and are not in proper ratio to the general levees of prices of these articles in Yugoslavia. Recently axes were 270 dinars in Belgrade, 300 to 450 in Zagreb, 380 in Rijeka, 600 in Titograd, and 675 in Osijek. Hoes were 265 dinars in Zagreb, 290 in Ljubljana, 380 in Rijeka, and 200 in Kragujevac. Scythes were 350 dinars in Osijek, 250 in Rijeka, 400 in Subotica, and 154 in Bitolj. Sickles were 140 dinars in Zagreb and Osijek, 200 in Rijeka, and 50 to 55 in Novi Sad and Belgrade. Pine boards (30 percent panel pine and 70 percent grade B) were 9,000 dinars in Zagreb, 10,000 in Belgrade, 7,000 in Split, 1`2,000 in Osijek300 , 13,0000s in Banjaluka, and 6,500 in Sarajevo. Nails (6 centimeters long) in Belgrade, Split, and Osijek, and 400 dinars in Nis and Banjaluka. CONFIDENTIAL cGRFa! ENTIAL Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1 to VIDEMtA The market is well supplied with bluestone, but there is a significant dif- ference in its price. Bluestone is selling in Banjaluka at 70 dinars, 150 in Osijek and Rijeka, and 100 in Zagreb, Maribor, and Novi Sad. Since a sufficient quantity of axle grease is for sale, prices are approximately uniform for this item 50 dinars in Belgrade and Sarajev); 70 in Zagreb, Rijeka, and Osijek; and 80 in Bitolj. Commercial enterprises and price offices should follow more closely the development of prices and market opportunities only but in Yugoslavia generally, to achieve a proper slavia as soon as possible, LOWER PRICES ON BETTER SUPPLIED MARKETS IN BELGRADE -- Belgrade, Politika, n abundanc- of produce has been available in Belgrade k a Within the past wee d uniform, not Prices stil l es are e bi plied At present they are su tt p g a p er ar whi those markets on lower siderably e lowest at the Kaleniceva market, where potatoes at selling giatd6ohtos70adinars per kilogram, beans at 80, greens nd live poultry at 150 to 200. Prices 200 ry a t ato toes -- are higher at the Bajlonova market, where po 1. cheese 280, from 100 to 130, , l es gram, beans from 70 to 90, greens 10, app dressed poultry from 250 to 280, and live poultry from^200nttoa220. Priceess are kilogram. dinars, cream 600, and live poultry 250 dinars a identical in these markets. For example, The prices Pnr some times are oil 500, butter 800, goat cheese 400, milk 50, lard is 500 dinars per kilogram, and yellow turnips dinars each 1 4 , 5 to smoked meat from 480 to 500, eggs from 1 120 dinars per kilogram, modity on sale yesterday in the stores of com- f com Spinach was the chie o? Prices varied. mercial enterprises, state farms, and cooperatives- thee"Slavi.ja" "Pancevacki Rit" Farm is sC1 -t5 o .-?------ __ __ - Commercial Enterprise at 12, and the "Smederevka" Enterprise at 15. Private producers are selling spinach at 15 to 20 dinars. Spinach is abundant in all marketc and can he obtained without waiting in line. al Slaughterhouse brought a small quantity of meat i i c p On 27 March the Mun to the ,Bajlonova market. This meat was sold out quickly. A long line was waiting in front of the market, where pork was selling at 180 dinars per kilo- gram. A long line forms early in the morning in front of the Municipal Dairy store in the Kaleniceva and Zeleni Venac markets, and milk is quickly sold out at 40 dinars a liter. The demand for milk is very great. It milk supplies increase, they will have a consiu.-ble influence on decreasing the price of milk sold by private producers- Prices in state farm store 0gc1 nare ars aforlbacon, 200 ddinars per kilogrrlm for inars for cracklings, lard, 3500 for pork sausage, 3 3 and 100 dinars for chitterlings. CONFIDENTIAL CONF! EI TIAL Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/25: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600400249-1