The public utility SA “Moldovagaz” expresses its concern about the demands to review the recent rise in the natural gas tariffs. In a communique, the company says a decision to annul or suspend the new tariffs will cause considerable damage, will worsen suddenly the financial situation of the enterprises from the gas sector and will lead to the accumulation of a higher debt to Gazprom. As a result, an increased risk of interruption in the supply of natural gas in winter will appear, IPN reports.

According to the company, the regulated natural gas tariffs haven’t been reviewed since September 2011. In the period, “Moldovagaz” and its affiliated companies sustained losses of about 3.9 billion lei. The debt to Gazprom, without the Transnistrian region, for the period between 2011 and the first quarter of 2015 rose to US$454.9 million.

SA “Moldovagaz” says that if it loses the possibility of settling the debt for the supplied natural gas, Gazprom could reduce and then fully stop the supply of natural gas to Moldova.

The company calls on the natural gas consumers to adopt an understanding attitude to the National Agency for Energy Regulation’s decision to allow increasing the natural gas tariffs and not to contribute to the exacerbation of the difficult situation in the natural gas sector of the country.