Olivia Grégoire, Minister in charge of SMEs, Trade, Crafts and Tourism, was the guest of the 8:30 a.m. franceinfo, Friday, October 7, 2022. She answered questions from Neila Latrous and Jules de Kiss.
Fuel supply difficulties: the situation will be restored in “a few days”
“15% of service stations have supply problems” in fuel, says Olivia Grégoire. “It’s a story of a few days” and “from next week, it will be better, the time that the fuel arrives in particular from the Benelux”. In addition, there is no question for the moment of extending the 30% rebate at the government pump beyond October 31: “As we speak no”, but “we are not in absolute certainty”.
Energy sobriety: “We will slow down the speed of the gondolas a little”
The minister assured that there will be no closure of ski resorts or spas. But everyone will have to make an effort. This winter, “we will slow down the speed of the gondolas a little to avoid peaks in consumption. And from mid-morning, speeds will return to normal”. She also called for the swimming pools to be lowered by one degree “spas and thermal resorts”. Olivia Grégoire always advocates the incentive: “We walk in confidence and not in obligation. I do not see how the State is going to check in each room of 4.1 million companies the temperature”.
Bakers facing the energy crisis: “We will find solutions together”
Olivia Grégoire has announced that she will meet “again next week” bakers, to discuss the rise in energy prices and the possible repercussions on the price of bread. 80% of bakeries do not benefit from the tariff shield, depending on the sector. “We want to target” the aid, she specifies and for the bakers who are not coping in this crisis, “we are going to widen the meshes of the net so that they fit in”.
Shrinkflation: “It’s 38 establishments” pinned “out of about 340 controlled”
Olivia Grégoire revealed the results of her department’s surveys of brands that practice “shrinkflation”, which consists of charging consumers the same price for less product. “We noticed about 10% of establishments that had not changed the price per kilo when the quantity of the product had decreased. When there is control and we notice that these establishments have not changed the price tags per kilo, there is a fine. It’s about 10% of the establishments. It’s 38 establishments out of about 340 checked in a month and a half “she said.
Tweet from Jean-Luc Mélenchon: “What is excessive is insignificant”
Jean-Luc Mélenchon compared, in a tweet, the march against high prices organized by the left, on October 16, to an episode of the French Revolution. “On October 5 and 6, 1789, women marched on Versailles against the cost of living. They brought the king, queen and dauphin by force to Paris under popular control. Do better on October 16”, he tweeted. “What is excessive is insignificant. I think that Jean-Luc Mélenchon, more and more excessive and in fact more and more insignificant, and I believe that the French are realizing it”reacted Olivia Grégoire.
Find the entire “8:30 am franceinfo” of Friday, October 7, 2022: