Greece announces subsidies to shield consumers, farmers from energy price spike
ATHENS, March 23 (Reuters) - Greece will offer subsidies for fuel and fertilisers and ferry ticket discounts worth a total 300 million euros ($346 million) in April and May to shield consumers and farmers from rising energy prices stemming from the Iran conflict, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday.
Mitsotakis' centre-right government this month imposed a three-month cap on profit margins on fuel and dozens of products on supermarket shelves to avert profiteering.
On Monday, he announced subsidies of 16 cents per litre for diesel and fuel vouchers that about 3 million consumers can use at petrol stations.
"Our aim is for rising product costs not to pass onto consumer goods," he said in a televised speech.
Farmers will also get a 15% subsidy to buy fertilisers, while ferry owners will get state compensation for offering discounts and help contain travel costs, he added.
($1 = 0.8668 euros)
