Debate on the country’s fiscal stance on extra benefits has opened, with the Minister of Finance Christos Staikoura to repeat at every opportunity that whatever additional space is created, it will be given to society.
However, it warns that the cost of borrowing from the markets has increased for all European countries and a bell rings that “we must be very careful in our fiscal policy”.
In the same context was the placement of the government representative, Giannis Oikonomouyesterday to SKAI, who said that with targeted actions the government will continue to face the wave of accuracy in favor of the most vulnerable.
Keeping the balance between sound fiscal and society support in the face of a sweeping wave of accuracy, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Costas Skrekas, announced yesterday the extension of the horizontal energy cuts for the month of February.
The new subsidy package reaches 350 million euros, while since last September a total of more than 2 billion euros have been spent.
Mr. Skrekas also announced the extension of the deadline for submitting applications for the “Save” program until March 15.
February Package: At 39 euros the subsidy
In detail, the subsidies for this month are as follows:
For householdsthe grant will cover all benefits of the main residence (approximately 4.2 million benefits), regardless of income, area of ​​residence or provider.
• For the first 150 kWh consumption per month the subsidy is 15 minutes per kWh.
• For the monthly consumption from 151 to 300 kWh consumption the subsidy is 11 minutes per kWh.
So the average monthly aid for an average household consuming up to 300 kWh / month amounts to 39 euros in February.
• In households included in the Social Housing Tariff (CTO), the subsidy will rise to 17 cents per kilowatt hour in February for the first 300 kWh of monthly consumption. So, the average monthly aid for the CTO is 51 euros.
– For other uses, except domestic (agricultural, commercial, industrial, professional, other uses, etc.) the subsidy remains at 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour. It is reminded that from November 2021 to March 2022, the suspension of the payment of Utility Services for the companies that are connected to the Medium Voltage is also valid.
– For household gas connections, the state subsidy in February will amount to 20 euros per megawatt hour of heat for all households and for the total monthly consumption. It concerns 540,000 household consumers regardless of income, size of home or provider.
At the same time, DEPA Emporia will continue to offer a discount of 20 euros per thermal MWh, for the entire monthly consumption to its customers. “We will ask in cooperation with it to do the same for the other providers”, said Mr. Skrekas.
In total, the benefit for households amounts to 40 euros per thermal MWh in February.
– For commercial-industrial gas tariffs the subsidy will amount to 20 euros per thermal MWh for all providers and for the total monthly consumption.
“The resources come from the revenues of the rights auctions as well as from the surplus of the Special Account for Renewable Energy Sources, since the production of electricity from the sun and wind today is comparatively cheaper than the production of electricity from natural gas or lignite,” he said. Skrekas and added:
“But beyond direct subsidies, the government is taking energy-saving measures that permanently reduce consumption and therefore the bill.
A few days ago we announced the program to replace air conditioners and refrigerators, which can lead to a reduction in consumption of more than 30% for a household.
At the same time, during this period, the new “I save” has started, on the electronic platform of which more than 80,000 households have submitted applications. To facilitate the submission of applications, due to the exceptional circumstances that prevailed in the first month of the program, we extend the operation of the platform until March 15.
“With the new package we are announcing today, we reaffirm the government’s commitment that for as long as this unprecedented energy crisis lasts, we will support both households and businesses.”
Staikouras: We supported the income
“We estimate that the potential fiscal space exists and has already been utilized, because when we had a 70 million reduction of ENFIA in the budget, we proceeded to a 350 million reduction of ENFIA,” Finance Minister Christos Staikouras told ERT yesterday.
He added: “Automatically, that is, about 280-300 million additions to the budget were used for the benefit of the citizen, especially the lower and middle incomes, where 8 out of 10 citizens will pay less ENFIA from April onwards.”
He stressed that “2021 closed much better than estimated and this is reflected in the disposable income of the citizen. In essence, we covered the entire loss of 2020, unemployment fell and this is reflected in the disposable income of a household. The disposable income of the citizen through tax reductions has been significantly increased and ELSTAT and the European Commission are now converging on this “.
He reiterated that “in 2021 and before the intense problem of accuracy arises, the state helped either by reducing contributions or by support packages to strengthen the disposable income of the citizen, which today is significantly gnawed and the family budget is significantly burdened.”
“We are, therefore, coming to cover part but not all of the increase in energy costs, and soon there will be additional announcements for the month of February (including the announcements made by the Ministry of Energy). So, so far we have given about 1.75 billion euros, Italy had given 3 billion, we close to 2 billion, and we will add some subsidy for the month of February “, he stressed.
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