Expensive bills and new refreshments: the government's responses

Spotlight still on caro energia and refreshments , two emergencies created by the pandemic and fueled by the spread of the new variants of Covid-19 . Both issues on the table of the CdM on Thursday, January 20, 2022, with an intervention contained in the order of 1-2 billion in favor of the activities that have been most affected by the new restrictions induced by the obligation of Super Green Pass and with the limitation of gatherings.

Refreshments chapter

Among the most urgent issues is the one concerning the refreshments for the activities affected by the new wave of the pandemic. Contributions could be earmarked for discos, sports facilities, cultural activities and tourism, but also fairs and other activities affected by the new wave of Omicron infections.

Aid for companies, which should take the form of a grant based on the loss of turnover, should amount to 1-2 billion, according to what is anticipated by sources of the MEF.

Hot bills

The other urgent chapter is the unstoppable increase in the cost of bills , a topic that has also become crucial for the economic recovery, since it affects families and therefore the residual spending capacity once the house bills have been paid, and companies, therefore their competitiveness abroad.

3.8 billion had already been allocated to mitigate the impact of the high bills with the Budget Law, but the latest increases announced by ARERA have imposed another effort.

The new intervention could take the form of a cut in VAT and system charges , as already done in autumn, or there was talk of the imposition of a solidarity contribution on energy companies. Even the Premier Mario Draghi had thundered against those who earned from these increases.

The MISE would then have presented a range of proposals that provides for the use of the extra revenue from excise duties and proceeds from ETS auctions, i.e. the European system for the purchase of rights to emit CO2, or the provision of strategic gas stocks for companies.

The alarm of companies

An alarm was launched by Confindustria , according to which expensive energy puts “the country’s industrial heritage at serious risk” and urges the search for “solutions to defend the industrial system today at risk”.

the surge in the price of gas quickly moved on to the price of electricity, causing the energy costs of industrial companies to rise to 37 billion expected for 2022 from 8 in 2019.

“An unsustainable level for Italian companies ane, which threatens closure of many companies in the absence of effective interventions “, says the Study Center of the Viale dell’Astronomia association, recalling that” the price of electricity is higher than in France and other European countries “.

Concern was also expressed by the CGIA of Mestre , which represents SMEs and crafts, which denounced that “our country is not suitable for small businesses” and that small businesses are “unjustifiably discriminated against” despite the fact that they represent over 99% of the companies in Italy and employ over 60% of private sector employees.