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Greece’s Food Pass: “Aspirin” for persistent financial migraine

Prime Minister is distributing “aspirins” in form of a Food Pass to the folks for six months to cope with the price hikes and the cost of living. As of February 2023, a subsidy of 10% of food shopping bills will be given to Greek households on income and property conditions.

In the plenary debate in Parliament prior to voting on the 2023 state budget, Mitsotakis revealed the new subsidy and said that the process of disbursement would resemble that of the fuel pass, while the cost – totaling 650 million euros – would be received in taxes on the surplus profits of two Greek refineries.

The Food Pass subsidy would relate to a maximum food bill of 220 euros per month for a single-member household, with the bill margin increased by 100 euros for every additional member (maximum 1,000 euros in food bills per family per month).

Included in the measure is shopping in supermarkets and other food retailers such as bakeries, minimarkets, grocers, butchers, fishmongers, dairy stores, and so on.

There are thoughts to expand the subsidy for purchases at open markets (laiki) provided that the sellers use POS – which they usually do not.

For example, in a single-member household, 220 euros of the monthly grocery bill would be subsidized with 22 euros (10%). A couple would receive a subsidy of 32 euros on 320 euros of its grocery bill, while a couple with two children would receive 52 euros on 520 of its monthly grocery bill.

In other words, a couple with two children would save 312 euros in six months, and a couple would save 192 euros in six months.

  • The subsidy will be less than one euro per day, 0.73 cents!

The subsidies will be credited through a debit card valid only in supermarkets and food retailers, unless a consumer chooses to have the subsidy deposited in a bank account, in which case it will be credited every three months in addition to being reduced to 80% of the subsidy per case.

Beneficiaries include households with an annual family income up to 16,000 euros for a single-member household and 24,000 euros for couples (married or in official partnership), increased by 5,000 euros per family for every child or hosted member of the household.

In addition, families may not have assets that exceed 250,000 euros for a single-member household or 400,000 euros for married couples, official partners, and single-parent families.

The government said nearly 3.2 million households (of a total 4.1 million) are eligible, involving nearly 8.4 million family members.

Details are expected this coming week by related ministers.

Government spokesman said on Sunday that the first relative legislation, that is the use of excessive profits taxation for the Food Pass purpose, will be submitted on Tuesday.

PS Who wants to be dependent on subsidies and Passes, when the solution is cuts in VAT and combating profiteering?

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2 comments

  1. “PS Who wants to be dependent on subsidies and Passes, when the solution is cuts in VAT and combating profiteering?”

    The “State” wants “dependency”.

    We are on the road to dystopia, it’s up to “us” to change the direction of that road.

    • That’s what the WEF’s ‘The Great Reset’ is all about, Catlover.
      By 2030, 75% of the people should be completely dependent on the state or on the big multinational companies. And then they can impose whatever they want, because if you don’t listen….
      That’s why they are creating all these problems, and they come themselves with a solution.
      You say that it’s up to us to change the direction, but unfortunately the majority of the people don’t believe this, as they are completely brainwashed by the media.