Heating charge for Chisinau to be considered at next CMC meeting

A draft decision regarding the final heating charge will be discussed at the next meeting of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC). Such a decision was reached by the members of the special municipal commission and by representatives of Termocom SA on April 4 after long debates, Info-Prim Neo reports. As the municipal commission suggested, after examining the materials submitted by the heat supplier Termocom, the draft decision will propose a charge of 536 lei per Gcal. Representatives of Termocom demand that the tariff per Gcal be 612 lei. The debates were again heated. The sides put up their pro- and against reasons as to the rise in the heating charge. The councilor on behalf of the Social Democratic Party, Emil Gutu, member of the commission, said that the sides argue according to the interests they defend. The Chisinau administration fights for a lower tariff so as to protect the residents of Chisinau, who are in a difficult situation. As the local public authorities say, the charge must be lower because the municipal budget for 2008 cannot cover the expenses that can appear if the heating charge per Gcal is much higher than the one proposed by the municipal commission. On the other hand, Emil Gutu says that the representatives of Termocom do their duties. Their aim is to obtain a higher heating charge so as the profit is also higher. According to the councilor, when considering a new charge, CMC will take into account both of the positions. Emil Gutu said that the April 4 meeting of the representatives of the Chisinau City Hall and of Termocom was the result of a number of compromises. If a month ago, Termocom proposed 912 lei per Gcal, after additional calculations it fixed a charge of 712 lei per Gcal. Later, after heated debates, the representatives of the heat supplier agreed with a charge of 612 lei. The municipal authorities will insist on a tariff of 536 lei per Gcal because the consumers would not be able to cope with an exaggerated increase. The Chisinau administration and Termocom SA have been in litigation over the level of the heating charge and the payment of the debts for the supplied heat.