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| EU | WILL THE EURO CAUSE PRICES TO RISE Much is being said about the country’s prospects of joining the euro zone in January 2008. Concerns have also been voiced by the public regarding the linkage between the adoption of the euro and an increase in the inflation rate as a result of increased prices during the changeover. Article written by Claire Azzopardi, Information Officer, NECC The National Euro Changeover Committee has been entrusted with the task of managing the changeover. An inherent aspect of its role is the dissemination of information and education about the practical changeover issues. Eurostat statistics have shown clearly that the adoption of the euro in 2002 resulted in an increase of 0.1% to 0.3% in the infl ation rate of the euro entrants at that time. This minimal rise in infl ation as a direct consequence of the change to the single currency did not however match citizen’s perceptions of infl ation. Studies and research done by various institutions show that immediately following the introduction of the euro, consumers’ perception of the rate of infl ation was almost double that of the actual rate. This is a rather interesting but unfortunate discrepancy. Research also shows that there were extensive country differences with countries adopting stricter price monitoring and consumer confi dence mechanisms faring much better than those opting for a more selfregulatory approach. However, the question remains as to why there was such a difference between the perceived and actual rate of infl ation. One of the main reasons exposed by research was that citizens experienced price increases in certain goods and services that are purchased on a daily basis, like, for example, confectionery, bread, eggs, cigarettes and newspapers and when eating out in cafes. Since these items are bought regularly, people believed there were widespread price increases with the introduction of the euro. The facts remain, however, that the introduction of the euro did not affect greatly the infl ation basket as it is measured by the Housing Index of Consumer Prices, which is a harmonised index of prices used consistently across Europe. There is also no reason to believe that a change in currency should cause higher prices. If a nation is committed to price transparency and increasing competition, lower prices should be sustained. The change is in the currency to be used, and not in the prices of goods and services. The NECC intends to utilise a number of tools that have been found to have worked well in the previous changeovers, to ensure that the introduction of the euro does not cause prices to rise. The experience of the fi rst wave member states during the transition period has shown that, amongst others, the mandatory dual display of prices is the most effective and effi cient way of ensuring price stability. The NECC will also be managing the voluntary dual display through the Fair-pricing in Retailing Initiative (FAIR). This voluntary scheme encourages entities to opt for dual display during the fi rst six months of the coming year to commit themselves to fair pricing during the changeover period. FAIR is therefore a perfect opportunity to demonstrate a businesses’ commitment to transparent pricing and will result in a boost to consumer confi dence and increased competitiveness during this voluntary phase. The NECC is determined to ensure that all sectors of society receive correct information and to plan a smooth changeover for all. Malta has the opportunity of learning from the best practices of those who have already undergone the changeover. Further assistance and information can be obtained through our Linja Ewro 154, or by visiting our website on www.euro.gov.mt . 14 L&S | SEPTEMBER ’06
| ISSUES | How to be a DOMESTIC GODDESS! “There’s no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years, the dirt doesn’t get any worse. It is simply a matter of not losing one’s nerve.” QUENTIN CRISP Can doing housework ever make us feel good about ourselves And when we say ‘us’, do we include both sexes and all the family here Liz Ayling takes a look at one of the oldest forms of domestic strife - housework. Well, I lost mine! Four years of dirt has to be seen to be believed, but believe me, it does exist and is lived in. Back in my student days, I spent a year in Vienna sharing what was once an elegant, fin de siècle apartment with three, heavy beer-drinking, heavy-smoking, Austrian lads. I was the only female in residence and I was the only one who seemed squeamish using a loo, bathroom and kitchen layered in what was at least four years’ dirt. I was also the only one who saw the need to tackle the issue before one of us keeled over from a super bug nasty. The lads nicknamed me ‘Klo Frau’, which translates as ‘toilet lady’, as I set to work on the smallest, smelliest and most offensive room. First up, I had to buy a stronger light bulb to see what I had long suspected lurked there. Then armed with rubber gloves and stoic Girl Guide training, I did the biz. Not quite sparkling, but at least the pull-chain cistern sprung into life as a place I could visit, if not exactly spend time in reading a magazine. Since this early character-building experience, I have become very particular about loos, as my husband can attest. But sadly, life’s experience has shown me that the men in mankind have been left in a time warp in an era when hunter gatherers would move to greener, cleaner pastures once one area became stale and overused. It was fine back then if men couldn’t aim straight; but today Why, I have pondered over the years, do women seem to notice the house-cleaning thing and men don’t In 1970, a seminal article on just this issue appeared in a US publication by Redstockings, an early women’s liberation group in New York. The author Pat Mainardi wrote:” I can only explain it by stating that we women have been brainwashed…probably [a result of] too many years of seeing television women in ecstasy over their shiny waxed floors or breaking down over their dirty shirt collars. Men have no such conditioning. They recognize the essential fact of housework right from the very beginning. Which is that it stinks.” There we have it, we women have been conditioned by well-meaning generations of mothers before us that it’s a failure on our part if we don’t maintain our living spaces to certain standards. The sad realisation is that thirty years on from that Redstockings’ article, women are the ones now stuck in the time warp. We still seem to be the (only) ones who notice that things aren’t quite up to scratch in the home. Ah, you say, but we have changed…we now work more out of the house and have far less time to devote to doing housework. Sure, and a lot of us have home help which is referred to in Malta L&S | SEPTEMBER ’06 15
Page 1: SEPTEMBER 2006 - ISSUE 48 & S T Y L
Page 4 and 5: | COSMETICS 1 | COSMETICS PRODUCERS
Page 7 and 8: | CELEBRITY INTERVIEW | a lifetime
Page 10 and 11: | DATING | Pulling a FAST ONE In th
Page 13: | GROOMING | HAVING AN EDGE IN THE
Page 18 and 19: | BITS | Home Remedy - When it all
Page 20 and 21: NET TELEVISION SCHEDULE 2006 House
Page 22 and 23: NET TELEVISION SCHEDULE 2006 Replay
Page 24 and 25: | LIFE&STYLE | | WELL-BEING | PILAT
Page 27: | HAIR | PERFECT GROOMING FOR YOUR
Page 31 and 32: | FOOD | LIGHT & EASY We’re havin
Page 33: | FOOD | SPAGHETTI WITH CHERRY TOMA
Page 36 and 37: | SPORTS | TOP LEFT: TYPICAL SAVE B
Page 38: | RADIO | A PRECOCIOUS HISTORIAN Fr

THE INIMITABLE STYLE OF GLORIA MIZZI - MaltaRightNow.com

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