Computer problems in the face of the avalanche of requests for discounts on gasoline

• Economy This is how the discount of 20 cents on the price of gasoline and diesel that comes into force today works

• Q&A Price of gasoline and diesel: how to benefit from the discount, when it starts and all the keys

's computer system

is registering problems at a national level due to the avalanche of customers who have come to its service stations in the early hours of this Friday, the first day that

must apply discounts of at least 20 cents per liter to all its customers.

"What is happening is an accumulation of operations. It is true that the systems are slowing down before the recorded peak, but these incidents have been somewhat punctual," the company explained to Efe, which anticipates that throughout the day "the situation returns to normal" and "a valley zone of requests" is reached.

As Efe has been able to verify at several

gas stations -owner of the largest chain of service stations in

, with more than 3,300-, some of them have even had to stop their activity, as they were unable to access the computer system to record the payments and apply the discount.

From this midnight, and for the next three months, gas stations must apply a discount of at least 20 cents per liter on their fuels to all their customers by imperative of the Government, which has taken this measure to try to cushion the effect of the rising energy prices in the pockets of citizens and companies.

Since the

began on February 24, the price of diesel in

has shot up by around 25% and gasoline has become more expensive by around 14%.

Computer problems prevent the correct application of discounts at gas stations in Valencia

The sales terminals of a good part of the Valencian gas stations are experiencing problems in applying the discount of 0.20 cents per liter committed by the Government because it is a bonus, and as such it is exempt from VAT.

As the president of the

(

),

, explained to Efe, "there is no point-of-sale terminal (POS) prepared to carry out this operation, and that is creating a big problem".

"What is happening is a shame and chaos. Perhaps later they will not want to pay us the money that we are advancing for not doing it correctly," laments this businessman, who affirms that the Government has published the form to claim the payment of those discounts around 9.15 am.

"Gas stations are trying to open and adapt, but in conversations we have with many businessmen we know that they are having many problems. Some choose to offer fuel without discount or ask customers to find another service station where they can apply it, " adds the president of this employer of gas stations.

Sánchez Segarra

wonders if the Government will fulfill its commitment to pay the funds that they are advancing as of Monday.

"We'll see if three days or three months go by," he doubts.

In a subsequent press release, this same association wonders "why it was not decided to apply said discount with a simple reduction of VAT from 21% to 10% and/or reduction of excise duties, as applied in other

countries

and how has it been doing with electricity in Spain since last summer?"

"Why was it not decided to apply this discount directly through the wholesale operators (around 100 companies) and the more than 11,000 service stations in Spain were chosen to manage this discount? Is it easier to do it with an infinitely greater volume, companies that, moreover, have less management capacity?".

"Why is the burden of having to bear the financing of billions of euros placed on the backpack of the weakest link, at no cost to the State and without knowing, today, when and how the funds are going to enter us? previews announced?

"We are gas stations, not bankers. And our association is made up of SMEs and micro-SMEs, small family businesses or the self-employed who cannot bear estimated average costs of around 120,000 euros during the three months in which the discount of 20 cents per liter will be applied. ", denounces the president of

.

And he adds that "what previous crises have not achieved, not even during confinement due to the pandemic (in which they forced us all to remain open, despite not having clients), RDL 6/2022 has achieved: that some of our associates, for the first time in their long professional career, have not been able to open their stations today".

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