A sum of 40 million euros has been set aside in the next year’s draft state budget for reducing electricity prices for energy-intensive companies instead of original sum of 80 million euros.
The economy ministry wants to keep its promise and reduce electricity prices for Slovak companies. The ministry proposed the provisions in the amendment to the Act on Support for Renewable Energy Sources which are to compensate the payments for the tariff for the operation of the system to energy-intensive companies. This tariff also includes the support for green energy and national coal extraction. Economy Minister Peter Ziga says that the total annual support for companies could reach 80 million euros. However, only 40 million euros have been allocated for this purpose in the next year’s draft state budget. “For the first time, we have managed to find the money to cut down electricity prices for industrial consumers. The economy ministry proposed the changes in order to help energy-intensive companies to boost their competitiveness. Since the final wording of the act is being debated in the Parliament and this mechanism is being introduced into the practice for the first time, we expect the launch process to take some, it may go beyond the second half-year 2019. The sum of 40 million euros takes this into account. The economy ministry will discuss more funds for the next period with the finance ministry,” a spokesman for the economy ministry Maros Stano explained the difference between the promise and the fact in the draft state budget for the portal vEnergetike.sk.
Full story in Slovak: Minister chce dodržať svoj sľub, ktorý dal slovenským podnikom
