Italy is preparing a new economic stimulus decree worth up to 13 billion euros to help families and businesses cope with rising prices for electricity, gas and gasoline, Deputy Economy Minister Laura Castelli said, Reuters reported.

The new scheme, which adds to the €33 billion already budgeted since January, is expected to be one of the last major moves by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who stepped down last week, paving the way for early national elections on September 25. .

Among the measures, the government could temporarily exempt basic consumer goods such as pasta and bread from sales tax, Castelli told Radio 24.

Other measures include subsidizing energy supplies for low-income families and energy-intensive businesses.

According to Castelli, the package will be financed by savings or higher revenues from other parts of the state budget and thus will not affect the state budget deficit.

The Italian EU-harmonized consumer price index (HICP) stood at 8.5% in June, up from 7.3% in May.

Core inflation (excluding fresh food and energy) was +3.8% year-on-year on the HICP index in June, compared with 3.2% a month earlier.

Inflation has never been this high since 1986. This phenomenon greatly undermines the purchasing power of Italians, said Castelli.