Last fall, the government paid installments to certain municipalities, after putting in place a safety net to deal with inflation. A year later, the State asked them for reimbursement and this is the case for more than 180 communities in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais.
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181 communities in Nord and Pas-de-Calais must repay thousands of euros to the State, France Bleu Nord reported on Friday October 27. These are municipalities or intermunicipalities which had received a deposit after the establishment of a safety net in the fall of 2022 to deal with inflation, in particular the rise in the price of energy. The government had released an envelope of 430 million euros at the national level.
The conditions of this system were specified in a decree published in the official journal on October 13, 2023. It appears that many municipalities will have to return the money collected, because, after efforts to reduce their expenses, they no longer meet the requirements. eligibility criteria. In the North, it is Valenciennes which must repay the largest sum, almost 550,000 euros. In Pas-de-Calais, Calais owes 400,000 euros to the State.
“I am scandalized”reacts the diverse-left mayor of Portel, Olivier Barbarin, while his municipality must pay back more than 230,000 euros. “We are making gigantic efforts in terms of energy, personnel costs, and all the criteria are met. So for us, it is out of the question to reimburse this amount”says the elected official.
The communist senator from Pas-de-Calais Cathy Apourceau-Poly had already alerted the government about the safety net which she considers to be a “scam”. She will question the ministers again on Tuesday October 31 with a question in the hemicycle. To relieve communities, the senator calls on the executive to apply regulated prices for gas and electricity, or to put in place a real price shield.