Businesses sought support from President Radev for greater compensation for expensive electricity

With President Rumen Radev, we do not differ in the assessment of the situation and in the approach to solving the problem of high electricity prices. This was said by the Chairman of the Management Board of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (BICA) Vasil Velev to journalists after a meeting of some employers' organizations with the head of state on the occasion of high electricity prices for business and industry. He said the president could help find the right and appropriate action to find solutions to this short-term problem.

Employers said they had a constructive meeting with the president, who in turn promised to talk to the executive about measures that could be taken.

"We will all be involved in a common dialogue that is very important for everyone. Both for energy-intensive businesses and especially for small and medium-sized businesses, which are extremely affected. In fact, it has no reservations to continue working at such prices. "And this is extremely important. Anyone who can will help," they added.

According to Vasil Velev, the estimates presented to the president and his team will serve to make a better decision than originally proposed in order to reach a fair compromise. The chairman of BICA reminded that the business proposal is to compensate 75 percent of the excess over the estimated market price of BGN 119 per megawatt-hour, which was given by the EWRC.

The Ministry of Energy proposes to compensate three quarters of the excess over BGN 185 per megawatt-hour, which is the market price for July. They also offer a limit on compensation of up to 30 percent of the market price. According to the employers, this restriction becomes meaningless at prices over BGN 300 per megawatt-hour, because the values ​​are expected to reach between BGN 500 and BGN 800 per megawatt-hour in the days after the New Year. According to the employers' organizations, the compromise solution is to have compensation over BGN 185 per megawatt-hour, but there should be no limit in the compensation.

The Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce Dobri Mitrev commented that the proposed compensation ceiling of 30% of the actual market price makes the measure ineffective:

"The 30% ceiling on the market price will actually help some businesses survive a few more days, but it won't save them."

Mitrev explained the demands of Bulgarian companies to compensate 75% of the difference between the actual market price for the month and the price of the moratorium on household prices.

"What the president actually listened to - we showed our calculations, our options for what would be fair compensation in practice for this seized resource from Bulgarian companies, which is currently in the Bulgarian energy. We informed him that they are not even necessary funds from the national budget to compensate all non-household consumers and that, in the end, a fair compensation will not only not allow us to sink as an economy, but can give us a huge chance for economic growth, "Mitrev was quoted as saying by BNR. .

The need to develop a new Energy Strategy of Bulgaria was also discussed at the meeting. Velev added that the employers' organizations have proposed the establishment of an expert advisory council to the president, which would work both on the strategy and on extreme problems and situations, such as the current one.

Opposition GERB called for the lifting of the moratorium

The moratorium on the price of electricity and heating should be lifted immediately. This was called for by GERB Chairman Boyko Borissov at a press conference at the party's headquarters. He even offered help with GERB MPs. We remind you that the proposal for the moratorium was made by the chairwoman of the GERB parliamentary group Desislava Atanasova. Subsequently, it was re-voted and specified by MPs.

"It should not be in this form. We have to pay billions to the electricity distribution companies from April 1. Their contracts are iron and they will condemn us and take them away from us. We have no claims to the authorship of this model, but it has worked so hard many years so far and it has proven itself. We invited employers' organizations and the unions. It is interesting why there are no unions at the meeting with Radev today. Because they are telling some truths about the recovery plan? "Borissov commented today.

Either we are already a real presidential republic and the cabinet and parliament are functions of the president, so that employers go to the presidency, or employers have exhausted their trust in the cabinet to go to "Dondukov" 2. Borisov made these assumptions about the business meeting with Radev. -early today.

"I am surprised by the meeting in such a format, in which the Minister of Energy is not present, not to mention the Prime Minister," he added.

Temenuzhka Petkova and Delyan Dobrev also took part in the party's briefing today, explaining the speculations on electricity and natural gas. The implementation of the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector has been delayed, Petkova said, asking who delayed the project and how. On December 31, 2021, the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector should be ready and the Azeri gas should flow. This is under the contract, Borissov explained. "And now, by rough estimates, there are still 50 km to go before it is completed," Borissov said.

We will no longer allow anyone to make politics on our backs, stressed the GERB leader.

Regarding natural gas and GERB's policies over the past 10 years, Borissov explained that first three intermediary companies had to be eliminated, then the price was renegotiated, "we renegotiated the contract with the EC and returned the excess money, which we returned to business." Borisov added.

Greece and Turkey accepted Russian gas, and Bulgaria was expelled from the gas distribution because of its solidarity with Ukraine, he added.

We have built a gas pipeline with which Bulgaria benefits millions from our actions, Borissov added, referring to the Balkan Stream project. In this situation, no one can leave Bulgaria cold, Borissov recalled. Balkan Stream now has 1 million cubic meters of gas - which will be enough in months. Bulgarians will only earn millions every year.

Delyan Dobrev, for his part, stressed that the business has been asking for an urgent meeting with the government for 10 days because of the electricity, and such a meeting has not yet taken place.