The State will approve on Tuesday a new anti-crisis decree
Cuerpo assures that he will monitor the impact of the rise in food prices
The First Vice President and Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, confirmed this Wednesday in Congress that the new decree on aid for the inflationary crisis derived from the conflict in the Middle East will be approved at the Council of Ministers next Tuesday, September 29. Some of the current measures will cease to be in force on October 1 if they are not extended.
At the government control session, the minister announced the publication of this new aid package. Precisely this week, Cuerpo and also the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, conveyed to the agri-food industry the executive's willingness to continue helping the sector in the face of the impact of the war in Iran beyond September 30, the date on which the measures of the comprehensive plan to respond to the Middle East crisis cease to be in force.
The vice president has also met in recent days with the industrial and energy sector, as well as with social agents, to address anti-crisis measures. Also carriers have requested aid in the face of the continued increase in fuel prices.
Energy dependence
Regarding the content of the decree, the minister has not given much detail, but he did emphasize the need to maintain a medium-to-long-term perspective and continue supporting the reduction of Spain's energy dependence, as well as promoting electrification and decarbonization. At the same time, the "second-round impact on the food basket" will be monitored, which, as the minister explained, "is practically flat".
The vice president highlighted the speed of the Spanish government's response to the Middle East crisis. Thus, Cuerpo pointed out that twenty days after the start of the war, measures were already being implemented, while some of the major European countries are starting to think about putting measures in place now, that is, "six, almost seven months later".
In this vein, he stressed that the reduction of tolls for the electro-intensive industry has meant "up to 200 or 240 million euros" for an average factory, which represents "a very significant reduction".
Cuerpo recalled that the two packages of measures approved in March and June in the lower house to alleviate the impact of the international conflict have meant tax relief, protection in terms of employment, and even regulatory measures to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, which has benefited the countryside with "up to 200 euros of diesel per month or up to 1,800 euros to buy fertilizers".