Monitor: Sakova: Inaccurate Data Affected Energy Aid for Up to 1.5% Households

(JOJ 24,'Politika 24', 25 January) Inconsistent data on residents in state databases may have affected the payment of energy aid for about 1 percent to 1.5 percent of households, not 10 percent as claimed by some media, Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) stated on JOJ 24's discussion programme 'Politika 24' (Politics 24) on Sunday. "Inconsistent data affected the payment or granting of energy aid to 1 percent to 1.5 percent of households. That one percent or 1.5 percent of households that believe they are entitled to energy aid and were not granted it have the option to visit a client service office or call the call centre. They can file an objection. If it is found that the data were inconsistent due to a third party, we can send the energy aid retroactively," Sakova said. "However, if it is found that someone who is complaining has 16 permanent residents registered in their three-room flat because they had tenants there and did not deregister them from permanent residence, then unfortunately all the incomes of the individual tenants were counted within that energy household," the minister explained, giving an example of why energy aid was not paid. According to her, the current opposition also increased the level of inconsistency in the databases, as when it was in government it allowed entrepreneurs to use energy aid. "Why did they allow 55,000 entrepreneurs in 2022 and 2023, when consuming gas and electricity, to switch to household tariffs? These entrepreneurs then financed, for example, their guesthouses, premises or other business activities," Sakova pointed out. mf