During his visit to a supermarket, Kyriakos Mitsotakis was informed about the progress of the implementation of the four structural measures against price increases that came into effect on March 1. The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Development Kostas Skrekas.
Visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to a supermarket chain store on Lenorman Street in Athens, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Development Minister Kostas Skrekas during his visit. (POOL/YIANNIS LIAKOS/EUROKINISSI)
“We had the opportunity today, together with the Minister, to visit a supermarket in the center of Athens to verify in practice the efficiency of the recent measures set by the government regarding the reduction of prices in a series of codes, about the 4,000, consumer products, detergents. Already citizens can see them at lower prices on the shelf,” he noted in a statement.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis was informed about the results of the implementation of the measures against punctuality
The Prime Minister spoke to store managers about the drop in starting prices on more than 4,000 key items in suppliers’ price lists that has been seen in recent days, and how this is reflected in final shelf prices, to the benefit of consumers.
Visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to a supermarket chain store on Lenorman Street in Athens, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Development Minister Kostas Skrekas during his visit. (POOL/YIANNIS LIAKOS/EUROKINISSI)
He also had the opportunity to see the first positive effects of the margin cap on infant formula, where prices have fallen between 15 and 20%.
“Obviously we have not faced the problem of accuracy. It’s an ongoing battle, as we’ve said many times, but I think it’s an important step, a structural step, regarding the functioning of the market itself, which will ultimately have the desired effect – hopefully – of lower prices for the consumer in a number of important products.
Visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to a supermarket chain store on Lenorman Street in Athens, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Development Minister Kostas Skrekas during his visit. (POOL/YIANNIS LIAKOS/EUROKINISSI)
I would especially like to single out baby milk, a product that has been of great concern to us. And with the intervention that we did, essentially adjusting the profit margin, we see reductions that are between 15% and 20%. Significant reductions, especially for new parents, as prices have really been out of whack lately. And the effort obviously continues”, concluded Mr. Mitsotakis.
“Obviously we have not faced the problem of accuracy. It’s an ongoing battle, as we’ve said many times, but I think it’s an important step, a structural step, regarding the functioning of the market itself, which will ultimately have the desired effect – hopefully – of lower prices for the consumer in a number of important products.
Visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to a supermarket chain store on Lenorman Street in Athens, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Development Minister Kostas Skrekas during his visit. (POOL/YIANNIS LIAKOS/EUROKINISSI)
I would especially like to single out baby milk, a product that has been of great concern to us. And with the intervention that we did, essentially adjusting the profit margin, we see reductions that are between 15% and 20%. Significant reductions, especially for new parents, as prices have really been out of whack lately. And the effort obviously continues”, concluded Mr. Mitsotakis.
The prime minister also spoke to citizens who were doing their shopping
“We have put the worst of inflation behind us”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke on the morning show of ANT1, to journalists Giorgos Papadakis and Maria Anastasopoulou, about the issue of accuracy and the measures to deal with it.
“This effort is obviously not over, but I still insist that, in my view, we have left the worst of inflation behind us,” noted the prime minister while referring to other government actions aimed at reducing overall spending of the households:
“We are also talking, for example, about energy. There you see that the intervention we made with the different color tariffs had a substantial effect: there is a significant de-escalation of electricity prices that approaches pre-crisis levels.
Consequently, we deal with what we call the “household basket” as a whole, i.e. household spending, so that we can intervene, where we can, ultimately to the benefit of the consumer.”
After his visit to the supermarket, Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave an interview to the ANT1 morning show
Asked if the reductions in the products that had increased recently could have been done earlier, Kyriakos Mitsotakis explained that “we are talking about a drastic intervention in the very structure of the market. We studied it carefully, I think we understood the root cause of the problem and we made our intervention. I want to remind you that there was a real reason that the prices went up and it had to do with the increase in cost factors, so there was an excuse why the prices went up. The question is why they have remained elevated when cost factors for businesses may have fallen. That’s where we came and did the intervention, which I believe is showing the first positive results.”
Visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to a supermarket chain store on Lenorman Street in Athens, Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Development Minister Kostas Skrekas during his visit. (POOL/YIANNIS LIAKOS/EUROKINISSI)
“Supporting citizens’ disposable income is the first priority of this government”
At the same time, he emphasized that the main goal of the government is to support the disposable income of the citizens, and the new increase in the minimum wage will contribute to this, the percentage of which is expected to be “locked” in March.
“Salaries in our country have on average increased by 20% in the last four years. As you know, there is also a new increase in the minimum wage coming up, which will come into effect on April 1st, and I believe we are well on our way to achieving the goal we have set for an average wage of 1,500 euros and a minimum wage of 950 euros at the end of four years.
If you add to this a comprehensive policy of reducing tax rates, which we have served consistently since 2019, you understand why supporting the disposable income of citizens is the first priority of this government”, pointed out the prime minister while also announcing lower prices for Easter table.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced lower prices for the Easter table
“The necessary will be done, so that we achieve the best possible prices, in cooperation with the suppliers, with the large supermarket chains. So that the Lenten table as well as the Easter table is a table of joy and celebration and not a table of great economic burden, especially for the weaker households”, he said while the interview closed with the issue of market controls and the imposition of fines .
“The rules are here for everyone to follow”
“You only have to look at the fines that have been imposed, fines that companies generally comply with – thus, they accept that something had gone wrong – to understand the will of the government, but also its potential through D.I.M.E. .A. and the now highly sophisticated selective mechanisms of the state to crack down on ill-gotten gains”, he said, among other things, and underlined that “there is no sense in an international inflation crisis, which has been undeniable in the last two years, for some people to find an opportunity and gain ill-gotten gains.”
The message sent by the prime minister is that “controls will continue with undiminished intensity and where violations and violations of the legislative framework that we have set are detected, the Ministry of Development, without delay, imposes the relevant fines without dramatizing this situation. The rules are here for everyone to follow.”