To be eligible for support for higher energy bills, an SME's energy costs must account for at least 12,5% of its turnover.
To be eligible for support for higher energy bills, an SME's energy costs must account for at least 12,5% of its turnover. That has recently become known. BOVAG finds a bizarrely high standard, and MKB Nederland and other trade associations also think so. It seems that most BOVAG companies will not be able to make use of the so-called TEK, the Energy Cost Compensation, for SMEs. BOVAG is displeased that the standard is so high.
"Even for energy-intensive companies such as bodyshops, it will be a matter of eligibility for support. Too bizarre for words. All the more so since these companies have the greatest difficulty in passing on the very high energy costs. A sector is threatening the neck And as I hear from colleagues at MKB Nederland, this applies to more sectors. Once again it appears that the cabinet pays far too little attention to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. !"
Lobby
In the near future, BOVAG will analyze the details of the proposed scheme and map the impact. At the same time, the lobby is being intensified, together with MKB Nederland. After all, the scheme must soon be discussed by the House of Representatives. The aim of this is to reduce the 12,5 percent standard to real proportions. The results of the study into the impact of higher energy bills in various BOVAG sectors will be useful in this regard. Those results are expected within a few days.
As far as BOVAG is concerned, the TEK scheme:
- Apply a realistic standard for granting aid. Somewhere in the order of 7,5 percent maximum.
- Offering scope for customization, after all, for a capital-intensive sector with low margins, it is not fair to look at the percentage of energy/turnover alone. This is possible, for example, by working with an auditor's report with a realistic percentage of energy costs.
- Can be explained at activity level. For example, bodyshops that do other activities in parallel, such as car sales, would have a higher turnover at company level and could therefore possibly be excluded from the scheme. This can lead to an uneven playing field.
- apply at establishment/BV level for companies that fall under a holding company.
