Russian politicians call back food stamps – help for the poor!

Russian politicians call back food stamps – help for the poor!

Russia is discussing the reintroduction of food stamps, a step seen as necessary given continued high inflation. The chairman of the State Duma's Financial Markets Committee, Anatoly Aksakov, sees this measure as support for socially vulnerable groups. According to him, the people most in need should be assured of being provided with a minimum of essential products. These proposals are rooted in the critical economic situation, which is further exacerbated by military operations and Western sanctions, such as Mercury reported.

Food prices in Russia have increased dramatically in recent years. According to the National Agency for Financial Information (NAFI), the average cost of food increased from 16,600 rubles in 2021 to 21,100 rubles in 2023. This represents an increase of 4,500 rubles per month, which amounts to about 45 to 210 euros. In particular, the rise in prices for basic foods such as eggs, tomatoes and cabbage is causing discontent among the population. Experts estimate that the introduction of food stamps will cost the state between 720 billion and 1.2 trillion rubles, although this depends largely on the number of eligible recipients Russia.CAPITAL reported.

Massive price increases are putting pressure on consumers

The picture of the Russian economy is also being shaped by the massive devaluation of the ruble and the decline in export income. These factors are pushing up inflation, which stood at 8.9 percent in November 2024. It is noted that the actual inflation experienced could be far higher than the official figures due to the guaranteed government aid programs and the rising cost of living. So experts believe that the inflation rate at the end of 2023 was actually over 23 percent, which reflects the actual cost of living of citizens. The head of marketing research at NAFI, Natalia Kuznetsova, also pointed out that 32 percent of Russians spend about 100 euros a month on food, and the number of households spending more than 200 euros has increased to 34 percent.