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Greece: Cost of living crisis hits ordinary households hardGreece has recovered from the financial crisis and is once again deemed creditworthy. But soaring inflation is putting ordinary households under immense pressure. Today, a 500-gram bag of coffee costs at least €2 more than last year. Milk and yoghurt are twice as expense, most kinds of bread and eggs costs about 30% more. Even feta, a popular Greek cheese, is now €12 a kilo, that's €3-4 euros more than six months ago.The price of olive oil has skyrocketed, in particular. Olive oil is a Greek staple, which is used in many of the country's dishes. But it has become a luxury good of late, with prices climbing week by week. One year ago, a liter of average quality olive oil cost €4,80 — today, that same oil will cost upwards of €10, or even €11, depending on the supermarket. This is olive oil produced from the 2022 harvest. As this year's harvest is expected to be poor, prices will likely rise even further, with a liter of oil retailing for up to €15. An average Greek household of four, for context, consumes about 60 liters of olive oil per year.To help consumers, Greek authorities have drawn up a list of 51 basic items such as rice, milk, yogurt, spaghetti, pulses, flour, toilet paper and soap. This list is sent to every large Greek supermarket by the economic ministry, obliging stores to clearly mark out the most affordable of these products so consumers can find them. Greek supermarket with a turnover of €90 million are obliged to implement these measures, whereas smaller ones can choose to participate.
NHS hit by ‘severe’ drug shortages due to Brexit red tapeExclusive: Patients put at risk as crisis hits supplies of vital antibiotics, HRT and anti-depressantsMedicine shortages in the UK are “as bad as they have ever been”, say health experts, as a new report warns that Brexit is a major factor in “severe” supply delays.Vital antibiotics, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs are among those in desperately short supply this winter – with the NHS forced to pay over the odds to get drugs into Britain.Community Pharmacy England, which represents NHS pharmacists, said medicine shortages are “as bad as they have ever been”, explaining that the war in Ukraine and manufacturing problems overseas are to blame as well as Brexit.The Brexit trade deal with the EU, which came into force in 2021, has meant extra costs because of customs declarations and other paperwork.Some of the UK’s regulatory processes for medicines are no longer valid in the EU, making it more time-consuming and expensive for international medicine suppliers to deal with Britain – and creating delays and extra costs for the NHS.
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Topic: 05/11/23 (Read 906 times)
