the government is studying an extension of their use on all types of food products

2023-11-14 17:49:00

Is the exception regarding to become the rule? The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, said “ favorable » to an extension beyond 2023 of the possibility of using meal vouchers to purchase all food products, without exception, saying “ to study » how to achieve this.

Consumption: faced with inflation, the second-hand market is exploding

« I am in favor of extending this provision allowing restaurant vouchers to be used to purchase food products beyond December 31, 2023. », declared the tenant of Bercy, before the Senate Economic Affairs Committee.

As a reminder, the exemption should theoretically end on January 1, 2024. This measure was put in place in 2022, in a context of high inflation, following the war in Ukraine, via the “purchasing power” bill, adopted in July that year.

Commercial negotiations soon advanced

Since this date, it has allowed consumers holding meal vouchers to spend up to 25 euros per day to pay for their food shopping, whether the products purchased are directly consumable or not (pasta, meat, eggs) – which is not not the case in principle, via this means of payment. In view of persistent inflation, Bruno Le Maire conceded that “the increase in food prices remains very penalizing for millions of our compatriots”.

Does this mean that the exemption will be extended de facto? “ Far from there. Is it simple to do? No, because a legislative provision is needed, we are currently studying the possibilities of extending this option “, tempered the minister to the senators, in comments cited by Public Senate.

Distribution: deputies and senators agree to advance trade negotiations

This announcement comes as the executive is regarding to announce the anticipation of a few weeks of commercial negotiations between supermarkets and manufacturers for 2024. A measure supposed to fight once morest inflation in food prices, which should be approved by Parliament this Tuesday despite the skepticism of many actors.

The annual commercial negotiations, which determine the conditions of sale (purchase price, shelf space, promotional calendar, etc.) for the entire following year, traditionally conclude on March 1st. But the government decided to exceptionally bring them forward for the year 2024, on the grounds that the reductions in the prices of many raw materials (wheat, sunflower, corn, oils, etc.) were not passed on the previous year to the prices invoiced to distributors by manufacturers.

(With AFP)