FinMin points to continued support for households and businesses
Finance Minister Christos Staikouras has told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) that the Greek government is “already doing and will continue to do its best to reduce the negative consequences of high prices.”
The consequences of the war in Ukraine are particularly painful for the economy and are exacerbating an already negative climate on the inflation front, which is negatively affecting households and businesses, he added.
In the face of this grim situation, “the government is trying to find effective tools to mitigate, as far as possible, the impact on the economy,” he said. The minister stressed that following the release of 2021 figures, the Greek economy “showed great resilience as well as a strong and sustainable dynamic.”
However, he added that this performance has been affected by the new environment of high uncertainty and insecurity, which, he stressed, is global.
In this environment of growing challenges, mainly the huge increase in energy costs, the government will continue to subsidize electricity and natural gas bills and reduce the Single Property Tax (ENFIA) further, Staikouras said, listing some of the measures the government is taking.
It will also increase, for the second time this year, the minimum wage and proceed with additional support for the most vulnerable citizens, depending on the budget execution and the potential fiscal space.
Finally, it will seek, at European level, new “lines of defense” for additional support to households and firms, Staikouras said.
