Energy and fuel prices, here are the government measures

Energy and fuels. All the details on the decree approved by the council of ministers to counter the economic effects of the Russia-Ukraine war

Cut of 25 cents in excise duty on petrol until April.

Social bonus extended to 5.2 million families, who will pay for electricity and gas like last summer.

Bills in installments and tax credits for businesses.

These are the main measures approved yesterday by the Council of Ministers which approved a decree law to contrast the economic effects of the crisis in Ukraine.

It intervenes with 4.4 billion, to defend the purchasing power of families and the entrepreneurial fabric, especially the one most exposed to Russia and Ukraine.

And it does so almost without putting its hand to public resources but by taxing the extra profits of energy companies by 10%, the executive stresses.

CRISIS IN UKRAINE, CONTRAST TO THE ECONOMIC AND HUMANITARIAN EFFECTS

Urgent measures to counter the economic and humanitarian effects of the Ukrainian crisis (decree-law)

The Council of Ministers approved a decree-law introducing urgent measures to counter the economic and humanitarian effects of the Ukrainian crisis.

The provision therefore addresses the following areas:

1. containment of the increase in energy and fuel prices
2. measures on energy prices
3. support for businesses
4. safeguards for the protection of national companies
5. humanitarian reception

1. Containment of the increase in energy prices

Reduction of excise duties on petrol and diesel used as motor fuel . The effect of the measure consists in the reduction of the price of petrol and diesel by 25 euro cents per liter for a period of 30 days from the date of entry into force of the measure.

Fuel bonus . For 2022, the amount of the value of petrol vouchers sold free of charge by private companies to employees, up to a limit of 200 euros per worker, does not contribute to income generation.

2. Measures on energy and fuel prices

Tax credit for the benefit of businesses .

The following tax credits are introduced:

companies equipped with electricity meters with available power equal to or greater than 16.5 kW, other than companies with a high consumption of electricity. The credit is equal to 12% of the expenditure incurred for the purchase of the energy component actually used in the second quarter of 2022 and is recognized if the price of the same, calculated on the basis of the average referring to the first quarter of 2022, has undergone an increase in cost. per kWh higher than 30% of the corresponding average price referring to the same quarter of the year 2019;

to companies other than those with a high consumption of natural gas. The credit is equal to 20% of the expenditure incurred for the purchase of gas, consumed in the second quarter of the year 2022, for energy uses other than thermoelectric uses, if the reference price of natural gas, calculated as an average, refers to the first quarter 2022, of the reference prices published by the Energy Market Manager (GME), has undergone an increase of more than 30% of the corresponding average price referring to the same quarter of 2019.

The aforementioned tax credit relating to electricity consumption can be transferred to other subjects, including credit institutions and other financial intermediaries, without the right of subsequent transfer, without prejudice to the possibility of two further transfers only if made in favor of banks and financial intermediaries, companies belonging to a banking group or insurance companies authorized to operate in Italy.

The transferability is also extended to the tax credit already recognized to energy-intensive companies and to heavy consumption of natural gas pursuant to decree-law no. 4/2022 and n. 17/2022.

On the other hand, the following tax credits, already recognized by decree-law no. 17/2020:

• that in favor of energy-intensive companies (from 20% to 25%);
• that in favor of companies with a high consumption of natural gas (from 15% to 20%).

Electricity and gas social bonus . For the period 1 April-31 December 2022, the ISEE value for accessing the electricity and gas social bonuses is equal to 12,000 euros.

Strengthening of price surveillance activities . The activities and tools available to “Mister prices”, the Guarantor for price surveillance already established at the Ministry of Economic Development, are strengthened. In particular, a special “Mission Unit” has been set up, with relative staffing, for the preliminary activities, analysis, evaluation and data processing. Furthermore, the Guarantor – who, under current legislation, can summon companies and trade associations in order to verify the price levels of consumer goods and services corresponding to the correct and normal market trend – may request data, news from the companies. and specific elements on the reasons that led to the price changes.

Transparency and monitoring in the natural gas market . The holders of gas procurement contracts for the Italian market will be required to transmit to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment (ARERA) the contracts already signed or to be signed. The information transmitted will be treated in compliance with the confidentiality requirements of commercially sensitive data.

3. Support to businesses

Installment of bills for energy consumption and SACE guarantee . Companies based in Italy, final customers of electricity and natural gas, can ask their suppliers to pay in installments the amounts due for energy consumption for the months of May 2022 and June 2022. The maximum number of monthly installments cannot be higher than 24. To support the specific liquidity needs deriving from the installment plans granted by electricity and natural gas suppliers, SACE SpA issues guarantees in favor of banks, national and international financial institutions and other entities authorized to exercise credit within a maximum limit of commitments of € 9 billion and can grant guarantees, in favor of insurance companies, equal to 90% of the indemnities generated by exposures relating to receivables claimed by electricity and natural gas suppliers.

Energy-intensive companies of strategic interest . Until 31 December 2022, the guarantees issued by SACE SpA in favor of banks, national and international financial institutions and other entities authorized to carry out credit in Italy, which assist in loans granted in any form to companies that manage industrial plants of strategic interest identified on the proposal of the Minister of Economic Development, cover 90% of the amount of the loan granted. A similar guarantee is granted for the financing of operations for the purchase and reactivation of disused plants located in Italy for the production of pig iron destined for the steel industry. In addition, up to 150 million euros are earmarked for decarbonisation projects of the steel production cycle at the Taranto steel plant, also proposed by the plant manager and implemented by the commissioner of ILVA SpA, which may make use of bodies in house of the state.

Salary supplement . To cope with situations of particular economic difficulty, employers who can no longer resort to the ordinary wage integration treatments are granted, within the spending limit of 150 million euros for the year 2022, an ordinary wage supplementation treatment for a few weeks. usable until 31 December 2022. The provision also applies to companies in the tourism sector.

Contribution relief (total exemption) for the acquisition of employees already employed by companies in crisis . The exemption from contributions in force for the recruitment, with an open-ended employment contract, of subordinate workers from companies for which a discussion table is active for the management of the corporate crisis is also extended to workers made redundant for staff reduction in the previous 6 months and to those employed in company branches subject to transfer.

Tax credit for the purchase of fuel for agriculture and fishing . companies carrying out agricultural and fishing activities are granted a tax credit, equal to 20% of the expenditure incurred for the purchase of the fuel actually used in the first calendar quarter of the year 2022. Transferability on the tax credit model is envisaged in the energy sector.

Renegotiation of agricultural loans and ISMEA guarantee . In order to support the production continuity of agricultural, fishing and aquaculture enterprises, the existing exposures granted by banks and other entities authorized to exercise the credit, may be renegotiated and restructured for a repayment period of up to 25 years. . The renegotiation and restructuring operations will be supported by the free guarantee provided by the Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market (ISMEA).

Refinancing of the Fund for the development and support of agricultural, fisheries and aquaculture enterprises . The endowment of the fund, for the purpose of disbursement of contributions to businesses, has increased by 35 million euros for 2022.

Fertilizers . In order to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and to limit production costs, the replacement of synthetic chemical fertilizers with equivalent digestate is allowed, the characteristics of which are identified.

IMU tax credit for the tourism sector . For 2022, a tax credit is granted to tourist-accommodation companies, including those that carry out agritourism activities, to companies that manage open-air accommodation facilities, as well as to companies in the exhibition and congress sector, to spa complexes and theme parks. , including water and wildlife parks, corresponding to 50% of the amount paid as the second installment of the year 2021 of the municipal tax (IMU) for properties falling within the cadastral category D / 2 provided that the owners are also managers of the activities exercised there and that have suffered a decrease in turnover or fees in the indicated period of at least 50% compared to the corresponding period of the year 2019.

Anticipation of the Fund's resources for price adjustment . In order to mitigate the economic effects deriving from the exceptional increases in the prices of some building materials, as well as fuels and energy products, the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility may recognize, within the overall limit of 50% of the fund's resources, a '' advance equal to 50% of the amount requested by the companies.

Public contracts – Suspension or extension of the service in the event of a price increase . Until 31 December 2022, the increases in the prices of some building materials, detected by the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, or the exceptional increases in the prices of fuels and energy products, ascertained by the sole person in charge of the procurement procedure in contradiction with the contractor, they can be assessed as a cause of force majeure and give rise to the suspension of the service if they prevent, even partially, the regular performance of the works or the regular execution of the services or supplies. If the increases prevent the completion of the works, services or supplies within the contractually envisaged term, they constitute cause not attributable to the executor and the latter may request an extension of the term to perform the service.

Road transport – The interventions are aimed at mitigating the economic burdens for the sector deriving from the exceptional increase in the prices of fuels and energy products and are added to those already adopted with the previous energy decree (Legislative Decree 17/2022) for a total of 80 million EUR. They provide:

• the establishment of the Fund for the support of the road transport sector, to mitigate the economic effects deriving from the exceptional increases in fuel prices with an allocation of approximately 500 million euros for the year 2022;
• the refinancing of contributions for the so-called 'marebonus' and 'ferrobonus', to encourage the transport of goods by sea and through the railways by removing it from the road and to encourage the development of intermodality;
• the inclusion in the transport contracts of the fee adjustment clause to take into account the increase in fuel prices. In particular, in contracts stipulated in writing, the fee adjustment clause must be provided if the price of the fuel registers a variation of at least 2% of the value taken as a reference at the time of signing the contract or the last adjustment made. For goods transport contracts concluded in non-written form, the consideration is expected to be determined on the basis of the indicative values ​​of the operating costs of the road transport company published and updated periodically by the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility;
• further support to the sector with the additional allocation of 15 million euros for the year 2022 to the Central Committee for the Register of road hauliers which, among other things, provides to companies the resources by way of compensated reduction of motorway tolls, and an additional 5 million for the lump-sum deduction of undocumented expenses for the owners of road haulage companies driving vehicles;
• the exemption for the year 2022, for freight transport companies on behalf of third parties, from the payment of the contribution to the Transport Regulatory Authority. The measure entails an overall saving of approximately 1.4 million euros for the sector and will benefit approximately 3,114 haulage companies.

Public contracts

• Measure aimed at quickly obtaining an advance of 50% of the compensation to which the company holding public contracts is entitled due to the increase in the price of materials. This advance draws on the special fund for the adjustment of prices set up at Mims within the limits of 50% of the available resources and is paid pending the investigation of the compensation requests. The Fund established with decree 73/2021 with an endowment of 200 million euros was refinanced for a further 150 million euros for the first half of the current year;
• the elimination of penalties is envisaged for companies holding public contracts which, due to the difficulty in finding materials and price increases, suspend the execution of the works or ask for its extension. This circumstance is recognized as a "cause of force majeure" by the sole head of the procedure (Rup).

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This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/prezzi-energia-e-carburanti-ecco-le-misure-del-governo/ on Sat, 19 Mar 2022 09:52:47 +0000.