PARIS (Reuters) – Energy suppliers pledged on Tuesday to take measures to relieve the cash flow of artisans and SMEs in France, in particular bakers hit by soaring electricity and raw material prices, announced the government.
Meeting in Bercy in the afternoon, representatives of Engie, EDF, TotalEnergies, the CRE (Energy Regulation Commission) and organizations in the sector “undertook to provide payment facilities for companies that would have cash flow difficulties”, declared Bruno Le Maire during a press conference. “There will be a state guarantee,” said the Minister of Economy and Finance.
Utilities have also agreed, on an exceptional basis for artisan bakers only, to terminate contracts free of charge when bills have increased prohibitively, in order to give the possibility of renegotiating.
Suppliers who do not respect in the coming days a charter signed in October by which they undertake to offer contracts under the best possible conditions “will see their name disclosed”, warned Bruno Le Maire.
The Minister of Economy and Finance had summoned energy companies to “do more, better and immediately” Tuesday morning after a meeting with delegates from the bakery sector during which he recalled the aid provided by the state.
Bruno Le Maire also confirmed the postponement of the payment of social and tax charges for all SMEs, which will be added to the “shock absorber” and the “counter” set up on January 1 to lower bills.
Faced with an explosion in the price of gas, electricity and raw materials such as flour, yeast or butter, the bakery sector, which consumes a lot of energy, has been sounding the alarm for months and many companies fear going out of business.
According to the Minister for SMEs Olivia Grégoire, a total of 12 billion euros will be disbursed to help small businesses in the face of the energy crisis.
“Overall, with these various aids, we cover around 40% of the increase in the electricity bill”, underlined Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday on franceinfo, while regretting “that today , few companies have already taken advantage of the aid that exists”.
“We have barely fifty SMEs a day who come to seek aid to which they are entitled on this counter”, lamented Bruno Le Maire, who promised to write to the 33,000 bakers in France and to open reception points in the prefectures to communicate on this aid.
(Written by Jean-Stéphane Brosse, edited by Blandine Hénault)