Energy experts accuse the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER) of not ensuring transparency in the process of approving the natural gas tariffs. They said the public debate staged by the Agency on March 7 was a formal one. The experts there could not put questions and obtain answers about the costs included in the tariff. As a result, the tariffs expected to be approved in the March 16 meeting could go against people’s interests.

In a news conference at IPN, Victor Parlicov, former NAER director, said that after the Agency launched the process of reviewing the natural gas tariffs in January, the energy experts formulated questions to the Agency, the Ministry of Economy and the Government, related to the costs included in the tariff. The NAER informed the experts that they will receive a response by March 31, but this is inacceptable as the new tariffs are to be announced on March 16.

Expert of the association “WatchDog.md” Community Sergiu Tofilat said the reasons why the revenues from the transit of natural gas are divided 50/50 between Moldova and its Transnistrian region are unclear. Estimates show the proportion should be 71/29. If this principle is approved, the decrease in tariffs will be larger.

Expert of the independent think tank “Expert-Grup” Dionis Cenusa stated that the March 7 debates staged by the NAER were formal. The experts could not discuss the subject of the new tariffs when they didn’t get answers to the posed questions, to which they could not receive answers in the meeting as well. The fact that the experts were invited to the meeting does not mean ensuring of transparency in the Agency’s work. “Together with the market players, we should take part in the formation of prices and setting of tariffs,” noted the expert.

Tudor Soitu, expert of “WatchDog.md” Community and former vice president of the Court of Auditors, said given that no answers were provided to experts’ questions concerning the setting of tariffs, there are no guarantees that correct calculations will be made. The experts called on the administration of the NAER not to approve the tariffs on March 16 and to stage one more public meeting where to discuss all the components of the tariff.