(Finance) – Green light yesterday evening to the amendment to the competition bill on meal vouchers. “This is – states Carlo Alberto Buttarelli, President of Federdistribuzione – a step that finally establishes a principle of balance in the market, bringing commissions to a maximum of 5% also in the private sector, as happened for the public administration”.
The amendment, explains the association further, it provides for a transitional period and application times that are “respectful of the parties”. In fact, it is possible to use tickets already in circulation under the same conditions until 31 August 2025.
From January 1st, a 5% ceiling will be set for new meal vouchers.
“We acknowledge the Government for having supported a regulatory choice that safeguards meal vouchers as a welfare tool for millions of workers and lays the foundations for consolidating a growing market”.
Satisfaction expressed by the National Association of Retail Cooperatives (ANCD),
which represents the cooperatives of the Conad world, for the introduction of a maximum ceiling of 5% on the commissions applied to meal vouchers. “We welcome with satisfaction the introduction in the Competition DDL of a maximum ceiling of 5% on the commissions of issuing companies on the value of meal vouchers, as has already happened for those used by employees of public bodies – declared Alessandro Beretta, General Secretary of ANCD – Merchants associated with Conad cooperatives will thus be able to have the same conditions for each meal voucher, making their over 3,500 points of sale available to people who use this important corporate welfare tool”, concluded Beretta.
“The introduction of the cap on commissions will have no impact on the employees of the companies that receive them – explains ANCD – and will give a new impetus to the use of this tool because it expands the number of businesses that will receive them, allowing traders and catering operators not to see the economic sustainability of their activities compromised., allowing traders and catering operators not to see the economic sustainability of their activities compromised”.