The Assembly has approved a program to supplement the Medium-Term Program for the formation, storage, renewal, and use of commodity reserves, as proposed by the Ministry of Finance. This decision aims to bolster the nation’s preparedness for various emergencies and market disruptions.

Specifically, the commodity reserves will include 1,300 tons of rice, or 2,400 tons of rice barley, enough to cover 60 days of consumption. The Ministry of Finance estimates that this will require approximately 100 million denars.

The inclusion of rice, a crop of significant importance to the population and well-suited for storage, is facilitated by recent amendments to the Law on Commodity Reserves.

These reserves are intended for use during times of war, states of emergency, natural and environmental disasters, and significant market disruptions. They are comprised of essential products for the sustenance of the population.

The commodity reserves include wheat, corn, barley, rice barley, edible salt, crude sunflower oil, petroleum products, medicines, and medical devices.