Five plus 1 new measures for farmers, the return of the EFK to rural oil and in 2024, a reduction in the cost of rural electricity with an additional 10% discount, the settlement of TOEB-GOEB debts to PPC, a new program for permanent relief from energy costs was announced by the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis from the floor of the Parliament in “Prime Minister’s Hour” total cost of 150 + 82 million euros.

“The return of the excise tax on oil will be extended in 2024, another 82 million” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, characteristically for the support of the farmers of Thessaly. The measure comes in consultation with the Ministry of Finance as he said as the economy is doing well. As for the current he characteristically said that PPC proceeds with an additional 10% discount on rural electricity from the months of May – September.

The 6 support measures for farmers in detail

1) PPC has decided and will offer an additional 10% discount on rural electricity from May to September (months of high rural consumption).

2) Settlement of the debts to the PPC of the Local and General Organizations of Vascular Improvements (TOEB, GOEB), which currently reach 87 million euros. In Thessaly, the OEBs will be abolished and the relevant activities will be integrated into the new Thessaly Water Organization, with the state assuming 75% of the debt of the Thessaly OEBs (8 million euros). In the rest of Greece, the remaining (76 million) debts will be settled with a ten-year repayment and zero interest rate which will be subsidized by the state.

3) In the context of addressing the increased energy costs of farmers, the government will ensure to farmers participating in cooperative schemes (cooperatives, producer organizations and groups, etc.) and to farmers practicing contract farming), a medium-term reduction in the cost of of at least 30% compared to today’s prices for a decade. To this end, it will prioritize and subsidize the construction of solar battery parks that will be made available exclusively to these categories of farmers in the form of long-term bilateral contracts for the supply of electricity. These bilateral contracts, similar to those made with industry, will be implemented within two years of the implementation of the measure.

4 ) For the individual farmers, a new Program exclusively for Farmers entitled “Photovoltaics in the Field”, amounting to 30 million euros, will be launched immediately. At the same time, the “locked” electrical space available as a priority to farmers per DEDDIE substation is immediately increased from 3MW to 6MW (6MW X 225 substations in the country = 1350MW), while the permitted limit for PV for farmers with priority access to ” “locked” space from 10kW to 50kW.

5) The Apollo Program, the largest energy offsetting program with green energy in the country, is also an important aspect. Through tenders we will select mature renewable energy projects, which will be ready within two years. The energy that we will supply from these projects will be intended to cover part of the energy needs of our vulnerable fellow citizens, the OTAs A’ and B’ degree, the DEYAs but also, here I want to stop, the Local and General Organizations of Sanitary Improvements. That is, through the Apollo Program, TOEB and GOEB will have a significant, and permanent, relief from the energy costs that prevent the fulfillment of their key mission but also hinder their development dynamics.

Starting his speech, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “It was not dragged into the government in the Parliament as a result of your question to answer the burning issues from the bad weather Daniel” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said as he ascended the floor of the Parliament in response to Alexis Haritsis.

This is the third time, he said.

Mr. Mitsotakis referred to the successive disasters that Thessaly has suffered from natural events saying that “we are talking about a situation that was completely unprecedented”
He argued that two are the priorities of the government. Firstly, to support the Thessalians and secondly, to be able to reconstruct in a modern way those infrastructures that were destroyed by the rush of water. As he said this takes time but also money with the budget exceeding 3.3 billion over a 4-year period, while resources that have exceeded 1 billion euros have already been mobilized.

“The objective obstacles are many” said Mr. Mitsotakis and added that the compensations also have their own particularities and may exceed 1 billion euros.
Regarding the government’s aid to farmers to date, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government has so far granted 148 million to 43,000 farmers and businesses, another 20 million has been given as advances to businesses.

At the same time, they have been approved 2,999 applications for rent subsidiesreported and as he said “I’m pushing services to move faster.”

Referred to in schools of the areas affected by Daniel, Mr. Mitsotakis said they will be fully restored by the start of the next school year with a donation from the shipowners.

“They will open in September in better condition than before Daniel’s death,” the prime minister said.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also said that the new water management body “will shake up the waters of stagnation” stressing that “some will be upset but it is a correct reformist”.
initiative. By the end of the month, the decision on the rezoning of the area will be delivered.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis reached 3 conclusions. As he said, “we were faced with an unprecedented event that required the state to move at a faster pace. We could do even better but in no case can the extent of the phenomenon and its complexity be underestimated. At the same time, solutions for the climate crisis were launched and thirdly, continuous monitoring and control is required”.

“Name me a Thessalonian who meets the conditions and has not received first aid. From the region, 1 in 7 farmers pay the full amount of the aid. Those affected have until the end of February to proceed. We want to be fast, but we will not distribute any money without being documented that it will be given to those who need it,” he said.

As Kyriakos Mitsotakis mentioned, next week the second cycle of ELGA aid and compensations for animal and plant capital opens. So far, 33,000 farmers and 2,100 breeders have collected 150 million euros for 2023 losses, he pointed out. Also, by the end of the month, the program to restore livestock and restore destroyed stables to be modern and environmentally friendly will begin.