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Amid controversy over rising energy prices and the cost of pollutants, the budget of the Cyprus Electricity Authority (EAC) was unanimously approved by the Plenary.
AHK's budget for 2022 is in deficit and forecasts expenditures of € 1,761,672,000 and revenues of € 1,443,703,000.
EAC expenditures for 2022 are increased by 32.5% compared to the corresponding expenditures for 2021 and relate to staff salaries (€ 133,159,000), operating expenses (€ 85,525,000), fuel costs, purchase electricity and Market Operator (€ 1,103,740,000), taxation and financing costs (€ 13,000,000), capital expenditures (€ 194,648,000) and contingencies (€ 231,600,000).
The revenues of the EAC for 2022 mainly concern sales of electricity (€ 1,063,606,000), charges to the Market Officer (€ 334,857,000), sale of desalinated water through the Vasilikos unit (€ 15,480,000), various other non-regulated revenues activities (€ 13,200,000), recovery of expenses by the Cyprus Transmission System Operator (€ 4,000,000) and interest receivable (€ 2,000,000).
DIKO MP Christiana Erotokritou stated that the rulers have managed to open & nbsp; a fan of fines and forced expensive prices for Cypriot consumers. As the Cypriot consumer said, as a result of inaction and mishandling, he pays hundreds of euros in fines for the purchase of pollutants, while they ignored that the Dhekelia units could not operate, something they knew since 2010. He added that what the Government has achieved is Today, Cyprus is in the middle of energy, with the most outdated electricity generation system, while the bill is growing because we burn fuel oil, natural gas is slow to arrive and Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are developing.
The President of the Ecologists 'Movement, Citizens' Cooperation, Charalambos Theopemptou, stated that while these things have been known for ten years, the choices of the respective governments have brought us here, especially in recent years, when the prices of pollutants have risen sharply. He added that based on the fit for 55 policy there will be an increase in fuel costs as there will be an increase based on greenhouse gas emissions.
ELAM MP Sotiris Ioannou said that the continuous increases have led the citizens to a state of misery and that what is happening tragically in Ukraine will exacerbate the problem. He referred to power outages to citizens and called for immediate solutions to reduce costs. He also said that it is immoral, filthy and criminal to subsidize free electricity to the Turkish Cypriots even for the occupying army when we cut the power to vulnerable categories of citizens.
AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou spoke about a critical crossroads in energy issues, something that finds Cyprus completely unprepared in terms of infrastructure for the arrival of gas and in relation to the development of the “Aphrodite” field. He also said that Cyprus is at the bottom of the EU in RES and blamed the “energy stalemate” on the current government “which is committed to various things and does nothing”. He added that the increase in the price of electricity to a large extent is due to the penalties paid by the Republic of Cyprus from pollutants and said that this year we will pay 120-130 euros for this reason. He also criticized the reference to the law for reduction of VAT on electricity by the President of the Republic and called on the government to reduce VAT by 10% for the duration of this difficult period with energy prices.
& nbsp; DISY MP Onoufrios Koullas, said that the electricity bill today is a little lower than compared to ten years ago. He added that Cyprus exceeded the 12% target for RES agreed by the AKEL Government and managed to go to 17%. Regarding natural gas, he said that there was no easy way to come due to the prices that prevailed in the last decade, while the offers received by the Republic of Cyprus did not reduce the cost of energy except for the last one. He also said that natural gas would reduce pollution by only 28%. What is needed, he said, is a targeted and prudent social policy, supporting those who are really in need and taking into account public finances. He also referred to the plans announced by the Government for energy savings. He also noted that Cyprus will face this crisis because it has the financial capacity.
In response, Mr. Stefanou referred to promises of the Government in the field of energy which he did not fulfill. He further stated that the Government insists on the tenders for RES and while in 2012 it had made an auction and received a price of less than 6 cents, for some reason it left the tender and proceeded to a tender, without the Minister of Energy being able to answer why.
Mr. Koullas replied that the AKEL Government committed Cyprus to very high prices for RES projects, while now the Government does not guarantee any prices, since the competitive electricity market will open. p>
