Pedroni (Coop): “Tough challenges, the Government puts families at the center of emergency”

“The scenario outlined in the 2022 Report gives us the image of an Italy called to face very demanding challenges that start from absolutely unusual economic and social factors. After thirty years the cost of living has returned with high inflation that has not been seen since the 1980s; for many consumers and businesses it is a completely unknown situation. Likewise, wages remain frozen and the report is striking in the gap that is accentuated between a growing part of the country that remains fragile and the more affluent classes. Consumer cooperatives by their nature have the duty to be a guarantee of quality at affordable prices for all Italians, whatever their social status “. This is underlined by Marco Pedroni, president of Coop Italia and Ancc-Coop (Associazione Nazionale Cooperative di Consumatori), commenting on the 2022 Report. “It is clear – says Pedroni – that the mission is increasingly complex, given the effects caused first by the pandemic, then by the war with its repercussions on the cost of energy and materials prime. We are approaching an important and until recently unscheduled election date. Whatever the government that will lead our country, I believe that it must put the primary emergency of Italian families at the center, promoting a policy of redistribution of income for the benefit of the majority, addressing the energy problem with measures that allow companies to remain on the market and citizens not to pay unsustainable costs. As the Coop Report shows, there is a need to divert incisive resources in favor of consumption by acting for example on the tax exemption of basic products and with a renewed environmental policy in line with the emergency of the moment “.” Commercial distribution companies they record very strong product and energy costs and have so far contained the increases in household consumer prices; budgets and with them the stability of companies can go into crisis; we are not asking for state aid, but to put a ceiling on energy increases and to support internal consumption demand. As Coop – concludes Pedroni – we have chosen to do our part fully to defend the purchasing power of shareholders and consumers without lowering the quality and sustainability of the products; hence the choice of a strong and innovative development of our brand, of the Coop Product as a beacon of our offer; the first results of this choice are really encouraging “.