KEDE President Dimitris Papastergiou warned of the dire financial situation faced by municipalities and DEYA (municipal water supply and sewerage companies), emphasizing the need to immediately convene a committee of the ministries of interior and finance and propose concrete solutions.
Mr. Papastergiou called energy costs “a major issue for all municipalities in the country.” “Obviously the equation does not work with anything, neither in the municipalities nor in DEYA, which have not received significant support so far, since most of their services are above 35 kVA and therefore not covered by energy subsidies. And, unfortunately, from KEDE’s meetings with the authorities, I’m not sure that we understood the financial shortfall we are facing.” he reported.
Municipal water supply and sewerage enterprises are in a difficult position.
The President of KEDE specified that the municipalities will make every effort to participate in the initiative to reduce consumption by 10%, but it is not as easy as it seems. “Obviously we can save resources with air conditioning and decorative lighting in public buildings and attractions, but it’s not so easy with lighting, where a 10% reduction creates safety concerns. Rather, it is easier to finally start the CHI, which will allow all municipalities, including insolvent ones, to start obtaining loans for energy saving projects. With two signatures, we will achieve savings not of 10%, but up to 80%,” he said.
Mr. Papastergiou, referring to the issue of extending school hours, noted that KEDE welcomes the initiative, which helps and meets the needs of the family, so that children can study. “However,” he stressed, “this extension of the working day also entails additional costs for operating expenses and staff cleaning.”
However, the Ministry of Education assured KEDE that the costs would be covered. “Additional cleaning costs existed in the past and were covered by municipal funds. However, this year it is impossible to do this in conditions when we have to deal with energy costs,” he concluded.
Source: Kathimerini
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