2024-04-20 14:48:12
- State electricity prices were postponed for a year
- Municipalities received a second tranche of BGN 324.7 million for capital expenditures
Schools, nurseries and kindergartens, community centers, churches and other public organizations will pay electricity until June 30, like households – at regulated prices determined by KEVR.
Until now, they were like businesses – they bought at stock prices. To make up the difference, the government on Friday allocated BGN 30 million for the period January 1 – June 30, 2024.
The compensation is provided through the suppliers with whom there is a contract for the purchase of electricity, as a reduction of the amount due for payment on the relevant invoice. The money under the program is provided by the “Security of the Electricity System” fund.
Again on Friday, the MPs, with changes to the energy law adopted in the first reading, postponed the introduction of state electricity prices for households by one year. The so-called liberalization of the wholesale market was supposed to take effect from July 1 this year. According to its rules, KEVR then stops setting prices for households, and this will be done by the government. The reasons for changing the deadline are that no good mechanism has been prepared to protect household consumers against a possible significant increase in the price of electricity.
The cabinet allocated BGN 324.7 million for the capital expenditures of the municipalities in the current year. “The provided financial resource is for the provision of upcoming payments until the end of April under concluded contracts for the implementation of the investment program for national projects, as well as for potential payments until the end of the month for already concluded public procurements for which the conclusion of a contract and payment is pending ”, the government explains.
This is the second tranche for the implementation of the investment programs, which the state transfers to the municipalities. They have already received over BGN 200 million and with the decision of the regular “Denkov” cabinet.
The Ministry of Regional Development has approved 723 municipal projects for BGN 1.9 billion so far, the responsible minister Violeta Koritarova announced a few days ago. Another 50 of them are expected to be approved soon.
The minister also explained that from January 1 to April 10 this year the department received a total of 1,302 applications for project financing from municipalities under the program. Most of them apply with projects to change the lighting and plumbing systems, as well as to repair the roads. In a fifth of the applications, however, inaccuracies are found – signatures and stamps are missing, as well as information on the entry into force of the construction permit or the data is filled in incorrectly.