PM backs idea of marking Russian goods in stores
DEREVNYA LESNAYA (NOVGOROD REGION). March 5 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev likes the idea of marking domestically produced goods on retail shelves, a proposal mooted by a regional governor at a Tuesday meeting in Novgorod Region by Medvedev.
The governor said that Russian products could be indicated by colored flags, for example, adding that this would involve almost no cost.
Medvedev said he was interested in the idea. He agreed that Russians shopping prioritize domestic product, because "it is known, familiar." Such visible marking would allow a customer to more easily find desired products on the shelves, the prime minister said.
The decision to do this should come not from the government, which does not have the authority, but from sector associations of producers and sellers, Medvedev said. "For our part, we are prepared to support this decision, in order for our brands to sell better," he said.