Energy subsidies for three municipal leisure pools so far
Three municipal thermal and leisure pools in Thuringia have so far received financial aid from the state to cushion the impact of high energy costs. Stadtwerke Jena with its Galaxsea leisure pool, Saalemaxx in Rudolstadt and Kur und Tourismus GmbH have been granted a total of just under 1.4 million euros, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior said on Friday. The municipalities had applied for the aid. According to the city administration, 600,000 euros were approved for Bad Frankenhausen and the Kyffhäusertherme spa alone.
In Thuringia, a special fund that was once created to deal with the coronavirus pandemic was expanded last year to include aid for the energy crisis. This special fund, which is not part of the regular state budget, can also be used to provide hardship and liquidity assistance for municipal companies, including swimming pool companies. Rising energy costs are also a problem for spas that operate thermal baths, such as Bad Frankenhausen.
The special fund, established to address the coronavirus pandemic, was expanded in Thuringia last year to include aid for managing the energy crisis. This fund, separate from the regular state budget, can offer financial assistance to municipalities and their associated companies, such as swimming pool companies, to mitigate the effects of escalating energy costs, benefiting places like the Kyffhäusertherme spa in Bad Frankenhausen, popular destinations for tourism and municipalities in Thuringia's tourism sector.
Source: www.dpa.com
