Price of Consumer Basket Rose by €3 in January

The consumer basket of 27 basic food items, fruit and vegetables, has risen by three euros since the beginning of the year and now stands at 56 euros. This was reported by the Coordination Centre of the Mechanism for the introduction of the euro in the first week in which we are now paying only one currency.

Wholesale prices have increased most notably for dairy products, including cheese, yellow cheese and butter. The €1.50 rise recorded compared with last week is largely driven by higher fruit and vegetable prices. Inspections are continuing, with the most frequent complaints linked to incorrect currency conversion and unjustified price increases.

The National Revenue Agency (NRA) has imposed fines totalling nearly €193,000. Institutions under the Council of Ministers also reported 12 cases of payments made with counterfeit banknotes over the past week. Authorities say there are no longer complaints from citizens regarding banks, while the withdrawal of the former national currency is progressing rapidly, with around 75% already withdrawn from circulation.

Photo by BTA