The Union of Employers of Serbia (UPS) will send a request to the Government requesting that the increase in the price of electricity be controlled and announced in advance, and that the acceptable price increase be around ten percent, said today the director of that association Srdjan Drobnjaković.
He told Beta that this was the conclusion of the Collegium of the Social and Economic Council, and based on a recent survey in which the largest number of businessmen stated that the increase of about ten percent would be bearable for business.
According to Drobnjaković, a far smaller number of businessmen believe that a price increase of around 20% would be acceptable, and only a few respondents said that the increase in the price of electricity will not affect their business.
“The price of electricity has drastically jumped for many businessmen, depending on the terms of the contract, up to 150 percent. Since about 95% of electricity for domestic consumption is provided from domestic sources, we believe that electricity should not become more expensive than on world stock exchanges,” said Drobnjaković.
He added that businessmen believe that one of the solutions would be to reduce excise taxes and subsidies for renewable sources and to increase the production of electricity on gas that Russia will supply to Serbia at the same price for the next six months.
The price of electricity on European stock exchanges in mid-October jumped by about 140 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh), rising from about 180 euros to 320 euros, but contracts between buyers and sellers in Germany were concluded at a price of 150 euros per MWh.
In Serbia, too, contracts have begun to be concluded at prices that are up to 200 percent, despite the state’s recommendation that the prices of the economy be kept at the same level until the end of the year, and amount to about 50-60 euros per MWh.
The owner of the restaurant “Stara kapetanija” in Zemun, Stevan Rodić, said that according to the contract with the electricity distribution, which recently expired, he paid 50 euro cents per kilowatt hour, and that under the new contract the price jumped to 95 euro cents.
“That new price is not being applied yet because I got the right to a transitional period for which I don’t know how long it will last and in which they will charge me 65 euro cents per kilowatt for electricity,” said Rodić.
He added that the state should first of all provide the same electricity prices for the population and the economy, because it is unconstitutional for the economy to pay far higher prices.
Rodić said that the electricity bill of the restaurant, in the “transitional” period and without heating, is around 1.700 euros per month, and that it will certainly jump to 3.400 euros per month when the heating is turned on.
He said that it was illogical for electricity to be charged in Serbia according to the prices on the European stock exchange, when salaries are not European.
He pointed out that the increase in the price of electricity is an additional blow to the business of the catering sector, which must respect the decision on Covid passports to visit the restaurant, and that it is illogical that this rule does not apply to sporting events and other gatherings.
“If the state thinks that the solution is to close all catering facilities, let it say so, because it would be more profitable for us, because now that we are working, we are only increasing losses, but then there will be no income in the budget and with workers on the street,” Rodic said.
He assessed that the catering sector of the economy suffers huge consequences of business during the corona virus pandemic and that the state should be aware of that fact and help companies from that sector when it comes to the price of electricity, so as not to shut down one by one, Danas reports.
