Communist faction in Chisinau Council demands to return to 233 lei/Gcal

The Communist faction in the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) asks the Council to cancel the charge of 540 lei/Gcal and to reinstate the heat tariff of 233 lei, Info-Prim Neo reports. PCRM faction leader Svetlana Popa said Thursday the new tariff should be “real, but the difference must be made up for from the municipal budget.” “The PCRM faction declares with all its responsibility that the heat tariff in Chisinau can be kept at 233 lei. These reserves are there in the budget and must be used to the benefit of the ones contributing to the municipal budget,” Popa said. Svetlana Popa did not specify however which is the 'real' charge, but said it should be established by general mayor Dorin Chirtoaca, grounding on “no matter whose expertise.” In her speech, the Communist leader asked to include the proposal on the order of the day, but when the time came to modify the agenda, the Communists forgot their proposal. Svetlana Popa's statements were criticized by Moldova Noastra Alliance councilor Oleg Cernei. He says the PCRM's position coincides exactly with a statement by heat supplier Termocom aired earlier. “I have the impression Termocom is the spokesman of the Communists. If to consider the communique by Termocom and the speech by Mrs. Popa, we notice they have the same data,” Cernei said, adding that the company “will be used in the electoral campaign as a blackmailing tool against the local administration.” Referring to the heat charge in Chisinau, a team of Swedish experts found in a study it should be 817 lei, Termocom has asked the CMC for 842 lei/Gcal in September and 822 in November, Moldovan economists calculated a charge of 651.7 lei. The City Hall considers the present tariff of 540 lei to be justified.