The Government should become involved in the negotiations with Gazprom and should try and obtain an advantageous price for the Republic of Moldova, said political commentators according to whom the executive’s strategy to shift full responsibility onto MoldovaGaz is incorrect. On the other hand, the representatives of the power admit that the purchase price of gas this year will be higher, while the Government’s responsibility is to offer the citizens with low incomes compensations so that the new heat tariffs do not fully unbalance their budget, IPN reports.
Representatives of the power admit that the heat tariffs this year will be higher and this is inevitable amid constant rises on the international market.
“If we look at the energy problem all over the world, we do not see good news. This is the reality and this is what we should expect. The question is what the Government does for the most vulnerable ones, how the gap in the budget of each vulnerable family will be compensated so that they do not feel these rises so painfully. But we cannot influence the world market. We can raise the pensions and salaries,” PAS MP Dumitru Alaiba stated in the talk show “Ghețu Asks” on TV8 channel.
Political commentator say that to obtain a more advantageous price for Moldova from Gazprom, the problem should be discussed, including at political level.
“It is not right to neglect this subject. For the current government, the negotiation of the gas price is a serious test, an attempt to show the professionalism of the current government and a challenge showing that this government can solve really difficult problems. If the problems have a political undertone, they should be negotiated at political level, while MoldovaGaz is not a political factor. The economic aspects are dealt with by the Government, while the contractual aspects are the task of MoldovaGaz,” said former ECHR judge Stanislav Pavlovschi.
“The presidential administration does not have powers to negotiate the contract with Gazprom and Maia Sandu cannot be accused of saying a lie in this case, but this is the Government’s task. Premier Gavrilița and the ministry in charge should become involved. The Government cannot avoid responsibility as 35% of the shares of MoldovaGaz belong to it,” said political commentator Roman Mihăeș.
Ex-PPPDA MP Liviu Vovc noted the President’s and the Premier’s refusal to become involved in negotiations with Gazprom is due to the tense relations with the Kremlin.
“It is for the first time that the Government of the Republic of Moldova does not become involved in the negotiation of a new gas price. It should become involved and should obtain reductions for the Republic of Moldova. I think that in the meeting with Kozak held in Chisinau, they were told firmly that such reductions will not exist and therefore the government tries not to associate itself with the new rise in price and shifts responsibility onto MoldovaGaz,” stated Liviu Vovc.
Both President Maia Sandu and representatives of the Government said that they will not become involved in the negotiation of a new contract for the supply of gas with Russia’s gas giant Gazprom. According to them, it is the duty of MoldovaGaz.the to hold the negotiations. Earlier, the director of MoldovaGaz Vadim Ceban admitted that the natural gas tariffs this year will grow following the rise in gas prices on the international market. According to unofficial reports, MoldovaGaz intends to ask the National Agency for Energy Regulation to increase the gas tariffs by 35%.
