New urgent measures in response to the economic and social crisis caused by the war in Ukraine

BOE publishes the new measures to deal with the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine.

BOE publishes today, March 30, 2022, Royal Decree-Law 6/2022, of March 29, through which urgent measures of economic and social nature are adopted within the framework of the National Response Plan to the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

These measures will be aimed at areas such as energy, transport, support for the economic and business network, and vulnerable workers and groups, highlighting below, those aspects that we consider to be of greatest interest:

MEASURES IN THE WORKPLACE

In those companies that benefit from the direct aid provided in this royal decree-law, the increase in energy costs may not constitute an objective cause for dismissal until June 30, 2022. Failure to comply with this obligation will entail the reimbursement of the aid received.

Companies that take advantage of the measures to reduce working hours or suspend contracts for reasons related to the invasion of Ukraine and that benefit from public support will not be able to use these causes to make dismissals.

NEW LINES OF GUARANTEES AND MODIFICATION OF COVID GUARANTEES

New line of guarantees for 10,000 million euros aimed at guaranteeing the liquidity of the companies and the self-employed that the ICO will manage, and may be granted until December 31, 2022 with a grace period of 12 months.

The Code of Good Practices applicable to all outstanding guarantees corresponding to COVID credits is made more flexible, so that it is no longer necessary for the turnover in 2020 to have been reduced by more than 30% compared to 2019 in order to access a extension of the maturity period. Likewise, a grace period of 6 months is enabled at the request of debtors in the most affected sectors and the obligation is established for financial entities to maintain working capital lines for all clients.

MEASURES IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR

The transport sector will benefit from a new minimum bonus of 20 cents per liter of fuel.

Freight and passenger transport companies will also receive 450 million euros in direct aid, which must be submitted through the Electronic Office of the State Tax Administration Agency, within a period that will end on April 30, 2022.

  1. Heavy goods. Truck. MDPE. €1,250
  2. Light goods. Van. MDLE. €500
  3. Bus. VDE. €950
  4. Taxis. VT. €300
  5. Vehicle rental with driver. VTC. €300
  6. VSE ambulance. €500

The term for refunding the Tax on Hydrocarbons is reduced to one month, and an additional bonus of 80% to the rate of the ship and the rate of merchandise in maritime lines connecting the Peninsula and the extrapeninsular ports belonging to the State-owned Port System.

BONUS ON GASOLINE AND EXTENSION OF TAX REFUNDS

The extraordinary tax treatment that electricity is currently receiving is extended until June 30, with a 10% reduction in VAT, the suspension of 7% of the generation tax and a 0.5% reduction in the special electricity tax.

Minimum bonus of 20 cents on each liter of fuel until June 30.

CYBERSECURITY

The National Cybersecurity Plan was approved with an investment of more than 1,200 million euros and the transposition into national legislation of the European regulations on integrity and security related to the deployment of 5G.

In addition, this Royal Decree-law establishes other social measures such as the 15% increase in the amount of the Minimum Vital Income (IMV); the limitation, in the next three months, of the revisions of the rises in housing rental contracts to 2%; or the extension of the electricity social bonus to 600,000 families.