“What falls under excessive, even prohibitive tariffs”, should not be “left to the free discretion of energy suppliers”, estimates the main union of the hotel and catering industry, Umih, in a press release.
After the bakers, it’s the turn of the restaurateurs. In the midst of the energy crisis and while the bills of professionals are soaring, Bruno Le Maire met with catering representatives this Thursday, in the company of his government colleague Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate in charge of SMEs. If no government measures were announced at the end of this meeting, the restaurateurs asked the State “the setting of a reference tariff for electricity and gas, regulated and supervised”. “The definition of what constitutes excessive or even prohibitive tariffs”can not be “left to the discretion of energy suppliers”adds the main hotel and catering union, Umih, in a press release.
The employers’ organization, whose president Thierry Marx took part in the meeting with the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire in Bercy, demanded “the setting of a reference tariff for electricity and gas, regulated and supervised, which serves as a calculation for the establishment of an acceptable “responsible energy contract” by companies. The Umih also wishes that, like bakers, restaurateurs and hoteliers receive an email referring to “a simplified simulator” allowing companies to know if they can benefit from aid.
The Minister of the Economy announced this meeting this Wednesday morning on France Inter, without indicating whether restaurateurs, like bakers, were going to obtain additional aid in the face of rising energy prices. The tenant of Matignon had contented himself with affirming that they would not obtain “not the same (as bakers) because the situation is very different“. “Everyone will not have the same deviceshe repeated.
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According to the number two of the government, the logic of the executive in 2023 has changed somewhat compared to 2022. “In 2023, aid will now be targeted to those who need it most“, he had underlined. And to add:We will not reopen a “no matter what” for all professions in France and Navarre, because that would not be the right solution.»
An extension of the tariff shield claimed
In Bruno Le Maire’s office, it was specified that Thursday’s meeting would mainly serve to “remind restaurateurs of all the aid that exists and for which they are eligible» and to «do pedagogy“. “Restaurant owners are entitled to all the aid“, we repeat in Bercy. And to list them: postponement of the payment of taxes and social contributions announced by Élisabeth Borne on Tuesday, help desk for the payment of gas and electricity bills, electricity shock absorber, even personalized support offered by the State in each department. “These aids are not well enough known“, we admit in the entourage of the Minister of the Economy.
For their part, catering professionals find it difficult to understand a different treatment from that of bakers. “We are also big consumers of electricity with our ovens and our cold rooms. We also face commodity inflation“, points Franck Trouet, spokesperson for the union of independent hotel and catering, the GNI. In this sense, the union is asking that the tariff shield be extended to companies that have an electricity meter with a power of less than 36 kVA, so that the majority of restaurants can be eligible for it. “We are called by anxious professionals who are on the verge of bankruptcy“, he continues. But this extension of the tariff shield was not obtained by the baking profession.
Invited Wednesday evening on BFMTV, the starred chef Thierry Marx, boss of the Union of trades and hotel industries (Umih), had explained that he wanted the executive “puts pressure on energy suppliers“. This is what the government has already done on Tuesday, receiving energy companies at Bercy. Following this meeting, the latter undertook to strengthen their aid to businesses. In particular to doinclude on the January invoice the benefit of the shock absorber which could represent on average a reduction of 20% of the price of the invoice“, declared Bruno Le Maire.
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A measure specific to bakers was also torn off by the executive: Bercy has in fact obtained from energy companies that they allow these professionals to terminate their contracts free of charge in the event of an increase “prohibitive“and insofar as she”threatens the survival of the company“. Having access to this possibility is also requested by restaurateurs. “We want the same. We need it too“, argues Franck Delvau, boss of Umih Paris Île-de-France.
SEE ALSO – Bruno Le Maire: bakers will be able to terminate their contract free of charge in the event of a price increase “prohibitive»