France starts issuing food stamps

Several French cities have started handing out grocery vouchers to the population to help offset rising prices, TV channel France 2 reported on Monday.

According to the report, citizens receive vouchers for 5, 20 and 30 euros. Municipalities have reportedly spent around €37 million (about US$40 million) to date on issuing coupons and certificates, as well as other community support activities.

A document outlining the subsidies has not yet been adopted. However, the mayoral offices of some French cities have decided to introduce food stamps on their own, without waiting for an official government decision.

The idea of ​​distributing food vouchers to middle- and low-income households was proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed well before the presidential election. Around 8 million citizens will benefit from the initiative.

Inflation is on the rise in France, driven by rising food and energy costs. Experts have warned that rising prices and weak economic growth could lead to stagflation in the country.