Retail group Confcommercio said
Thursday that some 120,000 firms are at risk of closure from now
until the first half of next year due to energy hikes amid
spiralling oil and gas prices due to the Ukraine war, as well as
rising inflation.
The energy spiral and inflation running at over 8% and set to
rise further, 80% due to the hikes in the prices of raw energy
materials "jeopardizes from here to the first six months of 2023
around 120,000 businesses of the service sector," Confcommercio
said.
Some 370,000 jobs are at risk, it said.
Service sector energy costs will amount to 33 billion euros in
2022, it said, triple 2021's 11 billion.
It will also be more than double 2019's 14.9 billion.
"It is a scenario that arouses strong concern," said
Confcommercio, calling for more government aid to struggling
businesses.
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