Arcadi Spain, the Minister of the Treasury and Economic Model, announced a new subsidized financing line to help the service station sector. Beginning this Monday, gas stations in the Valencian Community will have access to up to €50 million in energy product financing, enabling them to offer a 0.20 euro per liter bonus to customers without straining headquarters operations. The program aims to support roughly 800 stations in the region, ensuring affordable incentives for drivers while maintaining smooth business continuity for station operators.
In a meeting with IVF director Manuel Illueca and CEV representatives Salva Navarro and Esther Gilabert, Spain laid out the dual objective of the initiative. First, to design a financial instrument that carries no cost to stations and provides a 0% interest rate, safeguarding the viability of operators as the central government promotes the discount. Second, to facilitate and promote the nationwide 20-cent discount at all stations, allowing consumers to benefit from savings without disrupting smaller service stations.
The minister emphasized that the program is crafted to help drivers cope with rising fuel prices while preserving the financial health of service stations. He noted ongoing collaboration with industry partners from Consel and underscored that liquidity and support are available without imposing costs on the stations for an extended period—roughly a year and a half, with the duration dependent on liquidity considerations.
Advance up to 1 million euros
Through this subsidized financing product, gas stations can access loans of up to one million euros. Self-employed operators may obtain up to €150,000, and micro-enterprises up to €300,000. In discussions with the CEV, the maximum advance for a given gas station is calculated using the average monthly consumption from the season in question, referencing the 2021 data as a baseline. This structure allows operators to claim the estimated cost of the bonus over two monthly payments, aligning liquidity with demand.
Minister Spain explained that the arrangement creates a broad financing toolkit for stations. If fuel sales rise compared with previous years, the discount will be supported by the loan framework rather than adding financial strain on operators. He reiterated that the loans come with a full grant for interest, financed by the Ministry of Finance and the Economic Model, amounting to an allocation of around 7 million euros. The result is a zero operating cost for the first 18 months, enabling stations to participate without bearing immediate interest charges.
The call for the new IVF Related Energy Products subsidized financing line has been published in the Official Journal of the Generalitat Valenciana. Requests can be submitted through the IVF web platform at prestamos.ivf.es. The process is designed to be straightforward and fast, ensuring timely disbursement of resources to support financial resilience until central government allocations are in place.
Subsidized Financing Line IVF Affin Energy Products is part of the Reactive Plan conceived by the Consell in response to the energy emergency. Its objective is to jumpstart economic recovery within the Valencian Community and ease the burden on companies and citizens as energy and hydrocarbon costs continue to rise.