Barbadians should start to feel some ease from spiralling food prices and electricity costs as early as next week when a slash in the Value Added Tax (VAT) on certain items is expected to take effect.Acknowledging the daily pressures experienced by Barbadians in coping with high prices of essential foods, electricity and gas, Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Thursday announced an $18 million package  to bring much-needed ease.The relief measures saw an additional 44 food and household items included on a VAT-free list. In some cases, customs duties were removed from certain items paving the way for reduced prices to consumers starting from next Thursday, and ending January 31 next year.In a near hour-long address to the country, Prime Minister Mottley said Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn will deliver a ministerial statement in the House of Assembly next Tuesday morning to ensure that those things which require legislative amendments would benefit along with the provisional collection of taxes that apply.In addition to the supermarket ease, parents of school-age children would not have to worry about finding lunch for their wards during the summer holidays. Mottley said the School Meals Department will continue to provide lunches from July 25 to September 2 this year.“We believe that this is a critical component in ensuring that our school children can have nutritious meals, while at the same time relieving the burden from off of the families from being able to move in a position where they do not have to buy additional groceries to ensure that their children can be fed during this period of time,” the Prime Minister stated.