Argentine Lower House Passes Bill To Introduce Food Emergency Amid Rising Inflation

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – ) The Argentine Chamber of Deputies has passed a bill to introduce state of emergency allowing for larger food assistance to vulnerable groups of population amid worsening economic crisis.

“With 222 votes in favor, not a single vote against and one abstention, the bill was passed that involves a 50 percent increase in budget allocations for food programs,” the Chamber of Deputies said.

The introduction of the state of emergency allows to increase funds for food assistance to children under 14 years old, pregnant women and people with disabilities, as well as to older people aged over 70, who live below the poverty line, each quarter.

The inflation in Argentina came out 4 percent in August compared to 2.

2 in July. Most of all, it affected the prices for food, alcohol and tobacco, transport services, household appliances and health care services.

In recent days, thousands of people have been participating in mass protests across the country demanding that the authorities pay attention to the difficult economic situation the population faces due to the worsening economic crisis.

Since the announcement of the preliminary elections results in mid-August, when the center-left opposition resolutely outran the team of the current president, Argentina‘s economy has faced a downturn, which resulted in a sharp peso drop and prompted international credit rating agencies to downgrade the rating of Latin America’s third-largest economy