Global warming likely to save Chisinau City Hall from insolvency

Stopping the public heating in Chisinau is likely to spare the City Hall from insolvency to the municipal heater SA “Termocom”, Info-Prim Neo reports. The municipality may order to stop the 2007 – 2008 heating season next week, provided the weather is favorable. At a City Hall sitting, Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca inquired decision-makers on the opportunity to sooner stop the heating in the city. Deputy Mayor Vlad Cotet said a relevant order was ready and a decision may be taken if during three days the average temperature outside is +8ºC. Vlad Cotet insisted it was too early to disconnect the education, medical institutions and flats from the centralized heating system, although for the last several days the temperatures had allowed to do so. That’s because the Weather Service forecasts the temperature will go down to 0ºC the next days. According to the deputy mayor, the heating would rather be stopped in the city next week. Dorin Chirtoaca asked the district offices and the Dwelling Direction to urge the apartment block managers to save. According to the mayor, the technical facilities and the weather allow for regulating the temperature of the thermal agent within living blocks. He said the Town Hall had received more complaints from dwellers it was too warm in their flats. The Chisinau City Hall has had a series of disputes with SA “Temocom” during the ending heating season related to the supply of the heating water. The conflict unleashed after the Municipal Council had abrogated, on December 4, the tariff of 540 lei per 1 gigacalorie, reenacting the previous tariff of 233 lei for household consumers. SA “Termocom” sued the local authorities at law, wanting to make the court decide the tariff of 715 lei per Gcal. At the same time, the municipal authorities have repeatedly warned that approving of the tariff asked by SA “Termocom” could lead to sequestering the municipal bank accounts. The mayor said, in case the tariff of 715 lei is approved of, the whole activity of the local administration may be strained and he assessed expenses of 30% of the budget income for 2008, yet this sum was not provided for in the adopted municipal budget.