The Third Vice President and Minister for the Ecological Transition, Theresa Riverawarned this Thursday that the announcement by the President of the Government to lower the VAT on electricity bills to 5% “does not solve the problem” of high electricity prices. The descent, proposed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo a few weeks ago, was then described as “cosmetic” by the vice president. Approximately, for a consumer with a monthly bill of about 60 euros, it will mean a savings of about 2.7 euros. “It is important to understand that fiscal measures will not solve the problem. What we need are major structural changes“, has expressed the vice president in an informative breakfast organized by New Economy Forum.
Ribera has recognized that this change of criteria is due to the change in circumstances that requires a reevaluation of the measures, although he has insisted that the reduction of taxes will not be the solution, far from it. “It is not possible to work only in reduction of income and transfers of budget. that has a short-term impact and it is emptying the capacity of the State to correct situations that require a response from the State. That is why it is essential work on the substantive partthe most important criticism of the right-wing parties is that their only proposals were aimed at making transfers from the consumer to the taxpayer, but not at transform model, and I believe that this is not enough by itself”, insisted Ribera.
The Council of Ministers will meet in an extraordinary manner this Saturday, June 25thto announce the approval of the second anti-crisis package by ukrainian war which will include this reduction of VAT to the minimum allowed by Europe, as well as others aimed especially at most vulnerable consumers that they have a deployment “as agile and rapid as possible”, such as the “reinforcement” of the electric social bonus, a discount on the bill for low-income consumers who have contracted the regulated rate (PVPC). This discount, normally between 25% and 40%, is extended to between 60% and 70% until June 30, so will extend
The vice president has assured that “everything suggests that high prices will remain over time”, for which she has insisted on developing measures also in the medium and long term. about a new tax on energy companiesthe vice president recalled that Spain has already cut the extra benefit of energy companies by the rise in the price of gas and, although he did not give figures on what the collection has been during the eight months that it has been in force, he has assured that this reduction in its benefits has played “an important role in containing the rate review“because it exempts from the cut all those fixed-price contracts below 67 euros per megawatt-hourvery far from the current 200 euros MWh, as well as with the Iberian mechanism scheme that reduces the extra benefit that companies that do not use gas in their production would have received.
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However, the vice-president has recognized that in the presentation of the results of the electric, gas and oil companies “very bulky” figures have been given, but he has also warned that it is necessary to be “very careful” to avoid that a “badly planned” design of this mechanism “can move to consumers“and to “not hinder” the investment of these companies. Although Ribera has not confirmed whether this tax increase will finally be included in the package of measures that will be approved this Saturday.
It has also recognized that a sector such as electricity, “systemic for the economy” “cannot be seen by consumers as a industry they can’t trust“Citizens have to feel comfortable with those companies that offer them a fundamental service and there is obvious room for improvement here,” he added.