(Finance) – The slowdown in inflation recorded in March by Istat will not save the Easter holidays of Italian families, who will find an unpleasant surprise in the Easter egg. The says it Codacons, commenting on the data released today by the statistical institute.
The drop in inflation is once again due solely to the drop in tariffs Of light And gas on the protected market and on the free one, but for all the other products we are still in the presence of a price emergency, with the shopping cart rising by 12.7% over the year – Codacons analyzes – Inflation at 7.7% is equivalent to a higher expense equal to +2,252 euros per year for the “typical” family which rises to +2,917 euros for a household with two children, but the nasty surprise will concern the Easter holidays.
“The food industry in fact, it records average price increases of 13.2%, which are equivalent to an increase in expenditure equal to +1,015 euros per year for a family with two children. Those who will travel during Easter will instead have to deal with average increases of 6.3% for transport-related services – says the president Charles Rienzi – This means that Easter for Italians will be marked by price increases, and the Government would do well to intervene by adopting measures to control retail price lists, starting with the cut in VAT on food and basic necessities”.
“Well, excellent news. Inflation continues to fall thanks to the drop in energy goods, but that’s not enough. The drop in bills, which also industries are benefiting from, has not yet transferred to all the final prices of goods. In particular this did not happen for food products and for the shopping cart which remain with the exact same trend variation of February, +13.2% and +12.7% respectively” he says Massimiliano Dona, president ofNational Consumer Union.
“Numbers that herald a particularly salty Easter for Italians, who will face a real sting to set the tables and buy the typical products of the holiday, or will have to significantly reduce consumption – warns the president of Assoutenti Furio Truzzi – The Government must first of all intervene by eliminating the VAT on food and basic necessities, and then by strengthening the powers of the Price Guarantor and the rapid alert commission on prices, working with consumer associations to study the structural measures to be undertake to control retail price lists and above all to counter the speculation that still exists today in our country on the price front”.
“The uncertainty generated by inflation and the loss of Italians’ purchasing power make the effect of a contraction in consumption clearly emerge. And this puts at risk not only the economic stability of the distribution and production companies but also that of many excellent supply chains, in particular of all the Made in Italy products which are the emblem of the typical features of our agri-food system”, he commented Carlo Alberto Buttarelli, President of Federdistribuzione.
“There are still good signs from the inflation side which, as underlined by Istat, continues the slowdown also in March thanks to the drop in energy prices. But if thehorizon he calms down on the front of the energy sector, however, the upward tensions in the prices of the food goods unprocessed, weighed down by the effect of drought and the long criticality of a year characterized by the instability of the international markets for agricultural raw materials”. Confesercenti in a note.
“The good results achieved in recent months, obtained mainly due to the marked reduction in the prices of energy products, must not, however, lead us to overlook the pitfalls that lurk in the process of reducing the rates of change in prices. The previous tensions accumulated in balance sheets of companies along the chain that connects imports, producer and wholesale prices, up to the final distribution sector, are still present.The containment of inflationary dynamics undoubtedly represents a solid prerequisite for a more dynamic second half of the year in terms of productive activity. But this does not mean that the loss of purchasing power, income and liquid wealth does not already have a negative impact both on the side of household consumption and on growth”. So writes theResearch Office of Confcommercio in a statement.