The Chamber is Critical of the Proposed Increase in Hourly Rates for Food and Veterinary Supervision

The Ministry of Regional and Agricultural Affairs intends to raise the hourly rates for food and veterinary supervision services by 9% and 48% respectively starting next year. The Chamber does not approve of this plan, as there is a lack of justification for the proposed increases.

The Rate Increase Lacks Transparency
According to the draft proposal, the hourly rate for food supervision services in 2025 would increase from the current €35.74 to €38.90, representing a rise of nearly 9%. However, the Ministry’s explanatory memorandum provides minimal reasoning for why this specific percentage increase is necessary. It lacks information about how various cost components have increased or decreased compared to the previous year and what has caused these changes.

Calculations by the Chamber indicate that supervisory working hours decreased by approximately 700 hours over the year, yet labor costs increased by more than €60,000. This means the cost per working hour rose by about 16%, nearly double the rate of average wage growth. It is also surprising that costs related to facilities, equipment, and other associated expenses grew by about 38% in one year. The explanatory memorandum does not clarify why these components have risen so significantly.

Currently, it appears that the hourly rate increases are being implemented in an unchecked and non-transparent manner. Since no substantive explanations have been provided for the rate increases, it cannot be ruled out that the rise in costs is due to inefficiencies in how supervision is carried out.

For these reasons, the Chamber has proposed that the Ministry include details in the explanatory memorandum about how various cost components have increased or decreased over the year and the reasons behind these changes. Only then can it be assessed whether the proposed rate increases are transparent and justified.

Hourly Rates Must Be Announced Well in Advance
Additionally, the Chamber informed the Ministry that businesses want the rates for the coming year to be announced by mid-November at the latest and published in the State Gazette. A longer notice period is essential for businesses to account for the new rates when preparing their budgets. Early notification is particularly important when the planned rate increases significantly outpace last year’s wage growth or changes in the consumer price index. Recent practice has been to publish the following year’s rates in the State Gazette as late as two weeks—or sometimes just a few days—before the start of the new year. This is not a reasonable notice period.