The municipality will request the Government to contribute with funds from the state budget to cover the expenses of the heating enterprises in Chisinau, in connection with the increase in natural gas price, interim mayor Vasile Ursu stated on Monday, January 15. The municipality intends to approve this winter increases in the tariffs for water and thermal energy, but announces that the population will pay increased bills starting in summer. Setting forth that the methodology for calculating the compensations for the socially underprivileged people is not approved, the City Hall proposes municipal authorities in concert with the state ones to cover the difference of tariff within half a year. Earlier, Ursu said that local authorities will work out a mechanism of paying compensations just when the new tariffs will be approved. A number of municipal councillors stated that the tariffs will be not increased as the government party does not want to make the electorate angry over the new price rises before the elections. The difference of tariff will be covered, as mayor says, in proportion of 55% from the municipal budget, the rest of money being requested from the state budget. This “difference” could be set at about 200 mln lei, interim mayor estimated. The session of the Municipal Council, when the increase in the tariffs for thermal energy and water are to be examined, is scheduled for January 25. Previously, municipal authorities planned to hold this session in late December, but it was not held for unknown reasons. In late November, Chisinau Municipal Council approved the allocation of 33 mln lei to “Termocom” JSC to compensate the enterprise’s expenditures related to the increase in gas price. The present tariff is of 233 lei per one G-calorie.