“At a time when the Greek family is being tested, we could not, as an association, not support the measure of the “basket of school supplies”, said the president of the Association of Retail Businesses of Greece, Kostas Gerardos, who participated in the meeting he convened today, Tuesday, August 20, the Minister of Development Takis Theodorikakos.

His statement in detail:

“But we have to raise a serious question: Every business looks forward to an upward trend, so that it can cover its expenses, pay the salaries of its partners and make, at the end of the day, some profit. In recent months, the Greek business has also been tested, because it sees demand decrease, its costs increase, mainly in transport and energy, and at the same time it bears the burden of transferring the responsibility of the government’s social policy to it. These data, combined with the perpetuation of interventionist government measures, put the “core” of the Greek economy, which is every Greek company, in a very difficult financial position.

We as an Association will do everything possible to lighten the family budget ahead of this school yearsaid the
president of SELPE Costas Gerardos.

At the meeting, the minister announced the formation of the “basket of school supplies” that will come into force from August 28 until October 15, while addressing the market operators he said that the relevant products are included in the provisions for the profit ceiling and for this will be immediately checked by DIMEA.

What items are included in the student’s basket?

The “student’s basket” includes:

  • School bags
  • Caskets
  • ​Notebooks / pads (and notebook labels and covers)
  • Wooden or mechanical pencils
  • Colored markers / crayons
  • A pen
  • Erasers
  • Scrapers
  • Diabetes
  • Rulers (set of geometrical instruments)
  • Photocopy paper.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary General of Trade Sotiris Anagnostopoulos, the Secretary General of Booksellers of Greece Kalliopi
Skaya, the president of the Greek Retail Business Association Costas Gerardos, the president of the Central Union of Chambers of Greece Ioannis Masoutis and the representative of the Supermarket Union Apostolos Petalas.