The state budget, which will be presented to parliament on Friday, does not include additional support measures for any sector of the economy, Finance Minister Christos Staikuras said on Wednesday.
Stykuras’ statements are made the day after Tuesday in the catering sector countrywide there was a successful 24-hour strike.
Speaking to Skai TV, Staikuras said that the catering and related businesses sector has already received € 2.3 billion since the start of the pandemic and will continue to receive support in 2022.
The finance minister explained that the government’s priorities were driven by the intensity and magnitude of the energy and health crisis, and focused on limiting negative impacts on households.
Calling the combination a “double crisis,” he said it limits the fiscal space available for additional measures, although he stressed that there will be a discussion with the prime minister in early December to explore if more fiscal leeway can be created.
Staikuras said the Ministry of Finance would offer a positive recommendation on a plan to raise the minimum wage for the second time in 2022, and reiterated that the state budget foresees GDP growth of about 7% this year.
The minister said he expects inflation to rise by 0.5% this year and 1.0% in 2022, noting that he “would not be surprised if the inflation rate rises even higher in November and December, to 4% *.”
However, he sounded optimistic that inflation would start to fall in the first quarter of 2022 for products and services, and in the second quarter of 2022 for electricity costs.
* Official inflation data speaks of a 4% rise in prices, but in fact this figure can be safely increased to 15% or more.
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