According to Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), big consumers of electricity and gas will be able to get help from November 1st due to higher energy prices. The program has 30 billion crowns available. He said after Wednesday’s government meeting. Jozef Síkela, Minister of Industry and Trade (STAN), said the application for the subsidy should be ready by 1 November.
According to Sikera, the program was created under the so-called Temporary Crisis Framework, which allows the states of the European Union to expedite entrepreneurs as a result of high energy prices and anti-Russian sanctions. Now we can help. For energy-intensive companies, the maximum support he can reach 200 million crowns, while others can receive up to 45 million crowns, Síkela further said.
According to Síkela, the support mainly concerns companies in the processing and mining industries, but also agriculture and forestry.
At the same time, Sikera said he would prepare a support program for small businesses, regardless of their energy requirements, based on the draft European regulations presented Wednesday. As wholesale customers, they are entitled to compensation for up to 80% of their highest energy consumption in the past five years, he said. He added that if a European Union state approves the aid on his Sept. 30, the Czech Republic will immediately incorporate it into its national solution.
Fiala said the temporary crisis framework is in place until the end of the year and could be extended next year.
On Monday, the government approved prices for electricity and gas for households and businesses to be capped at six and three crowns per kilowatt hour respectively. Shikera said Wednesday that the measure would also apply to small businesses that purchase electricity from lower voltage levels or have annual gas consumption of up to 630 megawatt hours.
