On Thursday, the Sejm approved some of the Senate’s amendments to the law on the protection of certain consumers of gaseous fuels in 2023. support solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, including bakeries.
In its Thursday session, the Senate adopted 50 amendments to the 2023 Special Protection of Certain Gas Consumers Act in connection with the situation on the gas market. He proposed a number of structuring and clarification changes aimed, among other things, at enabling the correct determination of the amount of the gas contribution to the Fund for the Payment of the Price Difference by natural gas extraction companies, as well as efficient settlements for the provision of the gas fuel distribution service at frozen rates.
Most members gave positive feedback. They gave a negative opinion on a number of changes, including those related to supporting small and medium-sized businesses, including bakeries.
The Senate wanted to introduce an amendment to expand the subjective scope of the law’s “beneficiaries”, which would include SMEs within the scope of the law’s solutions. The Minister of Climate and Environment, Anna Moscow, recently explained that such aid requires the approval of the European Commission and that the government is currently seeking it.
During Thursday’s vote, MPs said, among other things: in favor of the Senate amendment, according to which the prices of gaseous fuels used in settlements with the most vulnerable customers in 2023 will correspond to those of 2022. However, the deputies rejected the amendment of the Senate that removes the income criterion related to VAT refunds to consumers of gaseous fuels for households.
When voting in the Sejm, the delegates supported the possibility to submit applications for VAT refunds using a mobile application or an electronic means of communication, which would streamline the process of submitting these applications.
The delegates also supported the amendment stating that the VAT refund will be exempted from enforcement and the introduction of a tax exemption for the refund of the amount corresponding to VAT, amending the law of 26 July 1991 on personal income tax.
The Sejm also approved the amendments to the law of January 11, 2018 on electromobility and alternative fuels with regard to the introduction of the following concepts: low-emission hydrogen, electrolytic hydrogen and renewable hydrogen in connection with the policies in place to support production and marketing of hydrogen of such origin.
As stated in the justification for the amendment, the aim of the proposed changes is to ensure that the use of low-emission, electrolytic and renewable hydrogen in transport is supported by setting targets for the number of hydrogen stations that only use electrolytic and renewable hydrogen offers for refueling and for the share of low-emission, electrolytic and renewable hydrogen in the transport fuels market – as part of the development policy for alternative fuels infrastructure.
The law continues to protect consumers of gaseous fuels in 2023 and introduces a financial equivalent for energy companies. The regulation serves to protect natural gas consumers in Poland from the possible consequences of the gas crisis.
The main aim of the law is to freeze the gas price in 2023 at the level of 2022. Gas suppliers are obliged to apply a maximum price of PLN 200.17 per MWh when settling with end users. Distribution costs are also frozen. The new regulations apply to individual recipients, sensitive recipients such as schools, hospitals, churches and kindergartens.
The law also provides for the introduction of a “gas surcharge”, ie a VAT refund for households using a gas stove as the main heat source, registered or reported to the Central Register of Buildings Emissions (CEEB). However, the VAT refund depends on the assets of the farm. It is awarded to a single-person household whose average monthly income does not exceed PLN 2,100. In the case of a multi-person household, it is PLN 1,500 per person. The VAT refund must be settled by local governments. You must request a refund within 30 days of receiving the invoice documenting the gas supply. It can also be submitted electronically. The Ministry of Climate and Environment estimated that the VAT refund will apply to approximately 300,000. people.
The new regulations also introduce a mechanism to limit the revenues of energy companies dealing with gas by transferring certain profits to fund compensation for individual customers. A similar mechanism was introduced in the so-called current setting.
The law also provides a compensation mechanism for sellers of gaseous fuels, which serves to compensate them for the effects of the introduction of the maximum price for their end customers subject to the tariff. It also introduces a compensation mechanism for gaseous fuel distribution system operators.
olk/PAP
Source: wPolityce