Support measures for vulnerable households to be examined in spring

The government will be in a position to examine new measures for shielding vulnerable households from rising living costs in March and April, depending on the course of inflation, energy prices and developments related to the Ukraine crisis, a finance official told Kathimerini on Tuesday.

“The economy must not enter a course of inflationary expectations,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We want to make targeted interventions and help the socially vulnerable. For there on, growth will ease the pressure,” he added, stressing that support will be targeted rather than horizontal and confirming the government’s determination to maintain fiscal stability. 

Reiterating that the primary budget deficit target of 1.4% of gross domestic product will not be exceeded, he added that the possible extent of measures for lightening the load on households and businesses will only become apparent once GDP figures are available in early March and after Greece’s new stability program is inked in April on the basis of macroeconomic forecasts.

How tourism will benefit the economy will also be clearer in April when the season and bookings start gathering pace, the official added, saying that estimates put this year’s revenues from tourism at around 80% of takings of the bumper year of 2019.