Half a million 'new poor' in south with rising power bills

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 28 - The cost of living crisis caused by spirally energy and food bills will create half a million 'new poor' in the poorer south of Italy, southern Italy development agency Svimez said in its annual report Monday.
    This will be out of a national total of 760,000 newly impoverished Italians, it said.
    The rise in the new poor will be 2.8% in the Mezzogiorno compared to 0.3% in the north and 0.4% in the centre, said Svimez.
    The southern Italian economy will contract by 0.4% next year while the national economy will grow by 0.5%, it said.
    The centre and north will see a 0.8% gain in GDP.
    Svimez called for renewal of measures against the energy squeeze and "major moves to relaunch investments". (ANSA).