Rasi: Act on Targeted Energy Assistance Will Help People and Is Fairer

Bratislava, 26 September (TASR) - The act on targeted energy assistance, which advanced to its second reading in Parliament on Friday, is fairer than previous legislation, said House speaker and coalition Voice-SD party vice-chair Richard Rasi after the vote, adding that Slovaks will no longer need to worry about the development of energy prices on global or European markets, as it won't affect them. The proposal is being debated by parliament via a fast-tracked legislative procedure, with the second reading set to continue on Tuesday (30 September). The final decision is expected next week. "The result will be that, even in 2026, despite the problems faced by Slovakia and Europe, our citizens won't feel the impact of what energy prices may bring," stressed Rasi, adding that compensation for higher energy prices was "one of the red lines" for Voice-SD within the consolidation of public finances. As the sponsor of the bill, Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) pointed out that the new law will allow any government, not only the current one, to decide flexibly how to help people with utility prices and who needs such help. Also defined are some basic terms such as energy households and their financial standing. "With this law, any government may adopt a regulation to specify a threshold for the financial standing up to which an energy household may receive compensation for high prices of utilities," she explained. A register of supply points will be set up to collect the necessary data about buildings, supply points and the relevant people so that the state authorities will have data about the amounts that people pay for energy and the volume they consume. With the information already available to the state, households won't need to apply for assistance, as it will be calculated automatically. Sakova said that the data will be stored on the most secure systems and, after automatic calculations are made, all data on income and other personal information will be deleted. There will be a new procedure for appeals should any problems or discrepancies arise. Such people may visit or contact a client service centre to inquire why they didn't receive energy assistance and where the problem is, she said. After the law is adopted, an implementation agreement on electricity supplies at agreed prices will be drawn up with power utility Slovenske elektrarne based on a previously signed memorandum. Subsequently, the ministry will also submit to the government a regulation with specific terms and conditions for assistance as of 1 January next year. jrg/df