The first day of application of the discount of 20 cents per liter of gasoline, one of the star anti-crisis measures approved by the Government of Pedro Sánchez, is being developed among queues of users and criticism of the sector to the Executive. Computer problems due to the avalanche of applications, such as those that have especially affected Repsol, have complicated the management of the bonus.
In line with what was expressed by the gas stations, the CEOE employer has severely criticized the discount to fuel and the fact that it is the stations that must advance it, warning that many gas stations would be in danger of disappearing. Faced with the criticism, the Minister of Finance, MarÃa Jesús Montero, has asked for tranquility to the sector and has stressed that the stations will begin to receive the discount from next week.
Queues at stations and problems in the computer system due to the avalanche of discount requests
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The main problem of this first day of entry into force of the discount has been the problems of saturation of the computer system due to the avalanche of requests. These problems have been registered especially by the energy company Repsol, which has taken the iron out of the situation."What is happening is an accumulation of operations. It is true that the systems are slowing down before the registered peak, but these incidents have been something punctual, "explained the company, which expects that throughout the day "the situation will normalize" and reach "a valley area of requests".
As the Efe agency has been able to verify in several Repsol gas stations -owner of the largest chain of service stations in Spain, with more than 3,300-, some of them have even had to stop their activity, not being able to access the computer system to register payments and apply the discount.
A worker helps a person who comes to refuel his truck at a gas station
These saturation difficulties have not only been limited to Repsol. For example, the sales terminals of a good part of the Valencian gas stations have experienced similar problems when applying the discount of 20 cents per liter. "There is no point of sale terminal prepared to do this operation, and that is creating a big problem for us," explained the president of the Mediterranean Federation of Entrepreneurs of Service Stations (Fedmes), Juan José Sánchez Segarra.
This same employer has regretted the situation and has held the Government responsible: "It is a shame and chaos what is happening. Maybe later they don't want to pay us the money we are advancing for not doing it correctly." Thus, Sánchez Segarra has insisted and has wondered if the Government will fulfill its commitment to pay the funds that are advancing from Monday. "We'll see if three days or three months pass," he doubts.
Repsol is confident that the incidents will be resolved throughout the day
Anger has been widespread across the sector. For example, the president of the National Federation of Self-Employed (ATA), Lorenzo Amor, attributed this Friday to the "mismanagement" and the "improvisation" of the Government that the gas stations have to advance to the State the money of the bonus. "It is unfortunate that freelancers and entrepreneurs of service stations have to advance to the State between 1,000 and 1,500 euros every day," he said on Twitter.
The fact that gas stations must advance the aid is the main criticism of the sector, which has been joined by the employer CEOE, which has described as a "dramatic situation" the one that service stations must face.In a statement published on Friday, the employer has warned of the "indifference and ineffectiveness of the Administration (with respect to the procedures of the bonuses), which condemns thousands of service stations to bankruptcy."
The CEOE describes as a "dramatic situation" the situation faced by gas stations having to advance the bonus
Faced with these criticisms, the Minister of Finance, MarÃa Jesús Montero, has called for "tranquility" and has thanked the effort that the gas stations are making by assuming the advances of the discount.
In statements to journalists in Seville, Montero has admitted that there may be some "punctual" problem in the procedure for requesting advances on the website of the Tax Agency, although he has indicated that he does not know it.
Montero removes iron to the problems: "Of course in an environment of almost 14,000 gas stations there may be some specific situation"
"It is obvious that in an environment of almost 14,000 gas stations in Spain there may be some specific situation, which at the moment I do not know, in which some question may have been raised," she said when asked about the problems to download the forms.In this regard, he has reported that his department has made available to citizens and gas stations a mailbox for complaints and suggestions.
The head of the Treasury does not share the argument that the gas stations will not be able to subsist by assuming the advance, because "next week they begin to receive it", so she has again asked for "tranquility"."It is important that we can give citizens confidence in the measures that are adopted," he added.
The Minister of Finance and Public Function, MarÃa Jesús Montero, has tried to reassure the sector
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