Reuters

Pandemic-related disruptions to global supply chains and the effects of Russia`s war in Ukraine have driven up prices of energy, commodities and other necessities.

Here`s how governments are trying to help hard-hit consumers and companies:

AMERICAS:

* The US will subject 27 drugs to inflation penalties, reducing out-of-pocket costs for Medicare recipients by as much as $390 per dose. The Inflation Reduction Act penalises drugmakers if they charge prices that rise faster than inflation for people on Medicare.

* Brazil`s president in February said the minimum wage will be raised to 1,320 reais ($264) a month from the current level of 1,302 reais, starting in May. Congress in December approved a constitutional amendment increasing the spending cap to maintain welfare payouts to poor families in 2023.

* Mexico has raised the minimum wage by 20% for 2023. In March it opened the door to imported Brazilian bovine products for the first time as it looks to diversify its food supply to try to curb inflation.

* Colombia raised the minimum wage by 16% for 2023.

EUROPE:

* The European Commission will extend its gas price cap system to all trading hubs in the European Union from May. EU countries agreed on the cap in December.

* Germany in April agreed a wage deal under which around 2.5 million public sector workers will receive 3,000 euros ($3,300) in tax-free payments in instalments through to February 2024.The government last year introduced electricity and gas price caps.

* France raised the minimum wage from May by 2.19%. The government in March reached a deal with the country`s main supermarket chains to help shoppers cope with food prices.

* Italy in March approved measures worth almost 5 billion euros ($5.48 billion) to cut energy bills for families and firms. Rome has earmarked over 21 billion euros in its 2023 budget to soften energy costs.

* Portugal also in March announced a package to help low-income families, including scrapping value added tax (VAT) on essential food products.

* Greece raised the minimum wage from April 1, the third hike in more than a year.

* Ireland in February announced funding to help households and extended a temporary lower VAT rate for the hospitality sector through the summer season.

* Spain raised the minimum wage from January by 8%.

* The Czech government in December approved raising the minimum monthly wage by 6.8% from 2023.

* The Swedish government last year announced fuel tax cuts and boosted welfare.

ASIA-PACIFIC:

* Pakistan in April capped the retail price rise in essential drugs at 14%.

* India in March lifted the inflation-adjusted allowance for federal government employees by 4%.

* Top Japanese companies in March agreed to their largest pay increases in a quarter of a century at annual labour talks, heeding Prime Minister Fumio Kishida`s call for higher wages.

* The government has allocated more than 2 trillion yen ($14.67 billion) from reserve funds in the current budget to try to limit inflation.

* Thailand in March agreed to extend an excise tax cut on diesel to July 20.

* The Philippines in December extended lower tariff rates on rice and other food items up to the end of 2023.

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST:

* Morocco`s government in April adopted a decree cancelling the value-added tax on agricultural inputs.

* The majority of South Africa`s public sector unions in late March agreed to a 7.5% wage increase after five months of strike action. The two-year, multi-term deal is significantly higher than what the government had factored into its 2023 budget.

* Israel`s government in early March reached a wage deal with its main public sector labour union. The deal covers some 350,000 civil servants, offering 11% raises between 2020 and 2027, as well as a one-time grant.

* Turkey in December raised the monthly minimum wage for 2023 by 55% from the level determined in July.