Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov said the contract for the supply of gas at the price of 10 lei which was published by the Bashkan of Gagauzia is false and cannot be implemented, IPN reports.
“Evidently, we are in an election campaign and they make particular promises before the elections. All this fuss around the gas is rather a media, communication effort than a real effort to supply gas. Those who really deal with the supply of gas do not work like this, do not issue press releases and do not publish contracts. They simply deal with the supply of gas,” the minister told a news conference.
According to him, namely the Government, through SA “Energocom”, is making effort to find cheaper gas for all the country’s citizens, not for particular regions. Good prices were ‘hunted’ throughout summer and there is now certainty as to the gas prices this winter. “Yes, they are not the ones promised by Missis Bashkan, but I want to explain what is possible and what is only media speculation,” noted Victor Parlicov.
The minister said the transportation of natural gas alone from Turkey up to the Republican of Moldova costs over €100 per 1,000 cubic meters. Other costs are added to this price, including for distribution, etc. “The paper that was published by Missis Bashkan as a contract shows a profit margin of 5%. I want to tell you that for companies that supply gas at regulated prices in the Republic of Moldova, such as Moldovagaz, the profit margin is set at 2.5%. There, the profit margin is two times higher,” explained Victor Parlicov.
According to the minister, the papers published by the Bashkan do not show the identity data of companies, the stamp. But the companies of Turkey use the stamp. Also, the Turkish company through an email denied that it is dealing with gas and that it signed such a contract. Also, the company based in Germany is a bakery and there is no data about its natural gas operations, while the company based in Balti, which obtained a license in 2020, hasn’t had any activities so far.
“We would be extremely happy to buy gas on the market at the prices indicated in those contracts for that particular region. If such prices had existed, we would have bought that gas for all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova,” noted the minister.
Two days ago, the Bashkan of Gagauzia Yevgenia Guțul announced that the inhabitants of the ATU Gagauzia will pay a preferential charge of 10 lei per cubic meter of natural gas. According to her, a Turkish company signed a contract with a large European trading company to buy gas directly from the European gas supply system. The Turkish company also signed a contract with a licensed operator from Moldova to supply this gas at a special price.
Currently, household users in Moldova pay a charge of 18.6 lei VAT inclusive for a cubic meter of natural gas.
