2,133,657.67 euros were paid yesterday, as 50% down payment of the state aid grant, to 324 businesses, agricultural holdings and livestock units, announced the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. With the above payment, a total of 49,507,816.35 euros have been paid, as an advance payment, to 5,438 beneficiaries.

At the same time, in 3,280 cases of businesses, agricultural holdings and livestock units, the first aid of a total amount of 10,303,000 euros, which had been granted, was offset against the amount corresponding to the amount of the advance payment of 50% of the state aid grant. Therefore, the phase of granting the advance payment of 50% of the state aid to businesses, agricultural holdings and livestock units, has been completed for 8,718 beneficiaries with the total amount of the grant reaching 59,810,816.35 euros.

As emphasized in a relevant announcement, the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection continues intensively, in cooperation with the Region of Thessaly and the Region of Central Greece, the implementation of the framework of state aid to businesses affected by the extreme flooding phenomena of September 2023, as well as to agricultural holdings and livestock units for their damage to their equipment, their foundations, land capital and other related from the same natural disasters. The framework includes (a) the grant of the first aid, (b) the grant of the advance payment of 50% of the state aid (incorporating the first aid granted), and (c) the grant of the final grant of the state aid (incorporating the advance granted), which reaches 70% of the estimated damage with a maximum limit of 500,000 euros.

Thus, following the granting of first aid to businesses, agricultural holdings and livestock units affected by the unprecedented flooding phenomena, the granting of the advance payment of 50% of the state aid grant has started from December 2023. It is worth noting that the first aid to businesses, agricultural holdings and livestock units has so far reached a total of 79.54 million euros.

“So far, the process of advance payment of 50% of the state aid for 8,718 businesses and farmers, an advance payment corresponding to 60 million euros, has been completed, after the floods of 2023” noted the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, responsible for the recovery from natural disasters and state aid, Christos Triandopoulos. “In essence, the services of the general secretariat of Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid, in times and burdens far removed from the past, manage to initiate the payments of the advance payment of 50% of the State aid within about a week from the time it is completed the procedure for submitting the details of the beneficiaries from the Region’s services. Thus, within a few days after the complete submission of the data by the services and state aid committees of the Region, 50% of the intended grant is paid. An advance that can reach up to 200,000 euros per business or farm. With the continuation, therefore, of the flow of data from the Region, aid to businesses and agricultural holdings in Thessaly and the other regions affected by the extreme flooding phenomena of September 2023 is proceeding immediately,” said the deputy minister.

Therefore, the general secretariat of Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid, in a context of close cooperation with the committees and levels of state aid of the Region of Thessaly and the Region of Central Greece, continues the implementation of the framework of state aid, both with first aid payments and and the payments of the advance payment of 50% of the final grant depending on the flow of data from the Regions.