Gas charges will not change, ANRE director

Residential users will further pay their gas bills according to the charges fixed in May. “The rates will not change because the regulation of the energy sector is not done in the courtroom but by the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE)”, said ANRE director Victor Parlicov. Victor Parlicov was asked by Info-Prim Neo to tell which rates will be shown in the bills after the Supreme Court of Justice ruled in favor of the United Moldova Party in the lawsuit against the Agency. The civil and administrative panel of the Supreme Court this week upheld a decision by the Chisinau Court of Appeals, suspending ANRE's decision to raise the gas and heating rates. “So far, no writ has been issued to endorse the Supreme Court's rulings. And even if it is issued, we will immediately restore the existing charges with another decision”, said Parlicov. Victor Parlicov went on to add that the Court can only rule on the procedure of raising the rates but cannot abolish the raise itself. “We won't oppose any decision of the Court, but we always have our internal leverages. This is the real price (of the gas), and we should pay it”, said Parlicov, adding: “I say Mr. Vladimir Turcan (the leader of the United Moldova Party) should find some other place, other than ANRE, to earn political gains”. Moldovagaz also reacted to the Supreme Court ruling. According to the gas supplier, the suspension could lead to daily losses of 2 million lei, which will affect purchases of gas from Russia's Gazprom and put the country's energy security in peril.