VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro has announced bumper rises in the minimum wage, food vouchers and pensions.

On Sunday, he said on his weekly TV programme that the minimum wage would increase by 50 per cent “to kick-start the year,” while each person’s food voucher allowance would go up by almost twothirds.

Mr Maduro said that 80,000 more people would receive pensions, adding that 90 per cent of those above retirement age were now covered.