The government has decided to help out all electricity and natural gas providers with compensation for having to sell energy at capped prices, in a measure estimated at around €350 million annually.
The eligibility criteria have been set by the prime minister’s cost-of-living task force and electricity market operator Borzen has been put in charge of paying out the compensation.
“We are addressing the cost-of-living crisis and compensating providers for lot revenue because they have to sell at capped prices, both electricity and natural gas,” Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer said after the government session on Thursday.
The prices of electricity and gas for households, small businesses and some protected users have been capped since September. Last month, the government also decided to cap them for public institutions, public companies, public agencies and municipalities.
The compensation scheme comes on the heels of a €1.2 billion aid scheme for the corporate sector that entered into effect on 1 January and entails subsidies for high prices of electricity, gas and steam, a state subsidy scheme for furlough and part-time work, and liquidity loans.
(Eva Horvat | sta.si)
Source: euractiv.com
