The Economy Ministry clarified this Thursday that support mechanisms for companies, given the exceptional increase in natural gas costs, remain in place, ensuring that it assesses the need for new measures.
The Ministry of Economy and the Sea clarifies that the legal instruments and support mechanisms for companies to compensate for the exceptional increase in costs associated with the price of natural gas remain in place.
Newspaper Public announced this Thursday that the government would end gas price support programs from July.
We are talking about the program IAPMEI – the Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation, which since last year has provided companies with subsidies in the amount of about 85 million euros.
Citing an official source in the Ministry of Economy and the Sea, the newspaper said no new announcements are expected, given the fall in gas prices in recent months.
In a note released this Thursday, the ministry, led by Antonio Costa Silva, ensured that the executive branch would continue to monitor energy price developments to assess “the possible need for new support for companies.”
On the other hand, he highlighted the emergency support provided to companies with gas consumption over 10,000 cubic meters (m3) per year, which has been in place since January.
Added to notices issued under the Gas Support Program, which “covered the cost of an exceptional increase in the price of natural gas until December 2022, and therefore support did not end.”
The Ministry of Economy also stressed that the program is part of a temporary support structure set up by Brussels, which specifies that support can only be provided when “the gas tariff is twice the average base price in effect in 2021.”
As he pointed out, current gas price quotes are “virtually identical to the benchmarks reported by companies in 2021” (27 euros per MWh).
Thus, the opening of new periods of support does not have a “practical effect”, he noted.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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