CMC asks companies to contribute money to building gas pipelines in Chisinau municipality

The local public authorities must identify possibilities so that the gas and water pipelines and the electric power lines in the suburban settlements of the municipality of Chisinau are built not only from municipal funds but also from the contributions of the companies that provide the given services. The issue was discussed at the latest meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) while examining the municipal program on the distribution of budget allocations for capital investment for 2008, Info-Prim Neo reports. Alexandru Tanase, chairman of the faction of the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), said that the companies that sell gas - Moldova Gaz or Chisinau Gaz – should contribute to building gas pipelines in the municipality of Chisinau. According to him, it is irrational to spend the scarce public funds to build pipelines that would be later transferred free of charge to those that sell gas. The municipality serves Moldova Gaz and Chisinau Gaz from public money so that these could sell their products in the country. Tanase stressed that the situation regarding the electric power networks and aqueducts is much the same. Oleg Cernei, councilor of the Moldova Noastra Alliance Party (AMN), backed the proposal. He said that it is not fair to transfer these pipelines at no cost to certain economic entities that do not financially contribute to constructing them. The head of the Capital Constructions Division, Vasile Panfil informed the councilors that under the capital investment program for 2008, about 44.5 million lei would be spent to build 144 kilometers of gas pipeline. According to him, the gas networks are administered by the Division, but are used by Moldova Gaz. The power networks and water pipelines are used by Union Fenosa and Apa-Canal Chisinau in the same way. Vasile Panfil said that they have conducted talks with the gas suppliers, but these shrink from assuming responsibility for gasifying the suburban localities, making reference to a Government Decision which says that the local authorities must build the gas mains at their own costs. At the recent meeting, CMC adopted the municipal capital investment program for 2008 with the stipulation that they will continue to look for solutions so that Moldova-Gaz, Chisinau-Gaz, Union Fenosa and Apa-Canal Chisinau allocate money for building the necessary pipelines.