The government’s financial team has requested that the troika allow it to reduce the taxes on hearing by 15% and to make the heating benefit available to a greater number of people. According to the request, the government wants to increase the benefit subsidy from 28 to 35 cents per liter and to expand the criteria of beneficiaries.
If the government request is approved and the special heating tax on oil is reduced, it is estimated that the price of heating oil will drop by about 4 cents per liter. If the 35-cent subsidy is also approved, that means that beneficiaries will be able to buy heating oil for 91 cents per liter, significantly less than the 1.3 euros per liter of current estimated prices.
The government’s plan involves beneficiaries paying 25% of the heating benefit up front. In order to make the heating benefit available to 20% more people the Ministry of Finances is considering expanding the asset and income criteria of applicants.
