[food prices] not lowered as much as promised

What an extraordinary headline, even for Iceland. Read on:

Sigurdur Jónsson, manager of the Federation of Trade and Services, said yesterday that Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde had promised more than he could deliver when he said food prices in Iceland would be lowered by 16 percent. Last year Haarde declared that the value-added tax (VAT) of food products would be reduced as of March 1 2007, resulting in an up to 16 percent price cut in groceries so that food prices in Iceland would be comparable to that in the other Nordic countries.

Er … how?

Jónsson further criticized the prime minister’s statement that dairy products will be lowered in price. What Haarde meant, Jónsson said, is that the price of dairy products will not increase, but not drop either.

Here is the government’s explanation:

Ragnheidur E. Árnadóttir, political assistant to the prime minister, told Fréttabladid that the economic term of a price of something remaining the same is “factual reduction” and therefore Haarde cannot be criticized for saying the price of dairy products will be lowered.

Yeah, right. So how about maths in general?

Árnadóttir said that the price of groceries will be lowered by “roughly ten percent,” which in Árnadóttir's opinion, could refer to 16 percent.

Meanwhile, another Árnadóttir [Ragnheidur's dóttir perhaps] is one lovely, quirky gal [check her clothed photo] into naturism in Iceland, presumably in winter. Won't any of you bored and lonely Londoners help her out?