A group of energy experts and representatives of civil society called on the National Agency for Energy Regulating (NAER) to postpone adopting the decision to increase the gas tariffs and to make public its draft decision on these tariffs beforehand.
“We consider it is irresponsibility on the part of the NAER to review the tariffs now that the amendment to the law on the natural gas, proposed by former Liberal-Democratic MP Semion Furdui, is in force. This amendment runs counter to the European Directive [2003/55/CE] and causes damage of about 800,000 lei to consumers,” ex-NAER director Victor Parlicov told a news conference at IPN.
According to him, about 5-6% of the July rise in natural gas tariffs is due to this amendment and the tariff includes additional costs.
“Based on this amendment, the money that is paid by the Russian company Gazprom for the transportation of gas through Moldova goes to MoldovaGaz, which uses it how it wants, and is does not enter the state budget,” stated Parlicov.
Analyst of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms Sergiu Tofilat said Parliament hasn’t yet asked the Constitutional Court to annul the ‘Furdui amendment’ and hasn’t amended the legislation in order to increase the Agency’s independence. “On September 23, we made public a resolution where we enumerated the problems existing in the energy sector and presented a plan with solutions. Most of our requirements were ignored,” he stated.
Former NAER director Nicolae Raileanu noted that the decision to increase the gas tariffs was challenged in court. “We established that the members of the Agency’s Administration Board in the meeting voted for particular figures, but the figures published in the Official Gazette are higher,” he said.
Speaking about the social aspect of the tariffs, CReDO project manager Olga Bitca said that to benefit from cold-month allowances, the applicants must present at least 12 documents and this is a bureaucratic impediment.
On November 13, the NAER will hold a meeting to examine its decision on the new natural gas tariffs approved on July 18.
