(Adds details)
By Dominique Vidalon
PARIS, Feb 20 (Reuters) - French Finance Minister Bruno
Le Maire said on Monday he will meet retailers this week to find
ways to help shoppers cope with high food price inflation, with
a view to finding a solution to the problem by March 15.
"I will hold talks with French retailers this week... March
15 will be the deadline," Le Maire told BFM TV.
"There is no reason to see for mid-March a flight upwards in
food prices. Let's stop playing with the fears of the French
people," he added.
Asked if the solution under consideration was for retailers
to agree to sell an anti-inflation basket of everyday essential
goods at knockdown prices, Le Maire said: "It will be the
solution they find the most efficient."
The government initially said it wanted big retail chains
such as Carrefour , Casino and the
family-owned grocery dynasties Auchan and E. Leclerc, to sell a
basket of about 50 everyday items at purchasing price from next
month.
However, only smaller chains such as discounter Lidl and
Systeme U have so far agreed to the government idea. The bigger
retailers such as Carrefour say they have already taken action
by blocking prices on a set number of goods.
The INSEE official statistics agency forecast last week that
food price inflation would remain at 13% through the first half
of the year.
Le Maire reiterated on Monday he expected inflation to ease
from the middle of the year and for France to have positive
economic growth in 2023, with 'even more positive growth' in
2024.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon;
Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Kirsten Donovan)
Messaging: dominique.vidalon.reuters.com@reuters.net))
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