Sofia, January 13 (BTA) - Parliament rejected on Thursday a draft decision to introduce a compensation mechanism for non-residential end consumers in the electricity market with 83 votes in favour, 83 against, and 31 abstentions.
 
The request for compensation was submitted by GERB-UDF. They proposed that the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Finance set up a mechanism to compensate non-residential end consumers up to 75 per cent of the difference between the estimated market price set on July 1, 2021 by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) and the average monthly price on the day-ahead market of the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange (IBEX). The proposal was for the compensatory scheme to enter into force as of December 1, 2021.
 
During the debate, GERB-UDF commented that the government is delaying the announcement of aid for non-household consumers and pointed out that businesses are suffering losses.
 
Vladimir Tabutov of Continue the Change said that the Council of Ministers is discussing compensations with a ceiling of 250 leva.
 
Lyubomir Karimanski of There Is Such a People also disagreed with the opposition's claim that there was no debate on the topic in Parliament. He said that there was a joint meeting of two committees, on budget and on energy, to address the high electricity prices.
 
The MRF underscored the need for compensation for non-household consumers, and their representatives reiterated that the moratorium on electricity, heating and water prices was a mistake, adding that businesses are not asking for alms, but for compensation.

MT