Business to protest if compensation for high electricity prices is not restored

Social partners are demanding compensation for the high price of electricity. "If this does not happen, on January 15, at 11:00, with our partners and members, we will protest in the triangle of power," threatened Vasil Velev, chairman of the Board of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria (AICB). According to him, the lack of an adopted budget and an extension law creates serious problems for non-household electricity consumers.

Velev added that "there is great pressure to solve this problem as soon as possible." Employers are demanding that the current threshold of 180 leva per megawatt-hour for non-household consumers be maintained.

"In order to avoid spontaneous actions, such as blockades of highways and border crossings, social partners, employer organizations and trade unions have undertaken coordinated efforts. Meetings have been held with the acting Minister of Energy, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. Further discussions are forthcoming, including with representatives of the parliamentary groups, as well as another meeting with the acting Minister of Energy," Velev specified.

The compensation mechanism is of key importance not only for enterprises, but also for non-household consumers such as kindergartens, schools, hospitals, temples and museums, which are also experiencing difficulties due to high prices.

According to AIKB data, the total number of non-household consumers exceeds 600,000, the chairman of the employers' organization announced. Vasil Velev recalled that the price of electricity for household consumers was increased by the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) from 128 to 138 leva per megawatt-hour. However, for non-household consumers, the price has jumped from 180 to over 250 leva, with the latest deals on the energy exchange reaching 282-305 leva per megawatt-hour. This makes enterprises uncompetitive, Velev stressed.

If a compensatory mechanism is not introduced, a national protest against uncompetitive electricity prices is planned for January 15, the chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) warned.

At a press conference, together with Dobri Mitrev - Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), Vasil Todorov - Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Todor Kapitanov - Vice President of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and Ioannis Partheniotis - Vice President of the Confederation of Labor "Podkrepa", they outlined more of the problems.

According to the Vice President of the CITUB, Todor Kapitanov, the high price of electricity without compensation from the state will have a detrimental effect on workers.

"This will lead to lower purchasing power in the face of rising prices for many goods and services. The possibility of promoting collective bargaining is also under threat, since enterprises and businesses have no predictable costs and it is not clear how they can plan increases in the salaries of workers and employees," added Kapitanov.

"We call on the state, represented by the National Assembly, to take an active role in protecting workers and businesses. On January 15, we will block roads and highways throughout the country in protest of the abdication of the state," concluded Kapitanov.

"The lack of a regular government is the biggest obstacle to the development of our economy. And it is export-oriented and depends on international markets to survive. With such electricity prices, where in parts of Europe electricity prices are many times lower than ours, Bulgaria will remain on the periphery, and we will completely lag behind," added Konstantin Stamenov from KRIB.