Price of power imported by Moldova from Ukraine will rise by 0.1 cents every month

The price of the electric power imported by Moldova from Ukraine will increase by 0.1 cents monthly. Chisinau will pay 3 cents per kWh for July. This coefficient will be used each month until the delivery price for Moldova equals the Ukrainian market price. Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Vladimir Antosii told reporters on Wednesday that Moldova and Ukraine have already signed a contract for the supply of power that stipulates new delivery prices. Moldova can terminate the contract if it finds a better price of power supplied by other sources. The minister said that the rise in the price of imported electric power was imminent given that the delivery prices in the neighbouring states are of 5-6 cents per kWh. Nevertheless, Antosii says, the Moldovan side did not give in to Ukraine, which intended to immediately double the delivery price from 2.7 cents to 5.4 cents per kWh, threatening with a rise in the transit prices. Asked how the monthly increase in the price of power will affect the tariffs for the final consumers in Moldova, Antosii said that the National Agency for Energy Regulation should examine the possibility of raising the tariffs only when the expenses of the distribution enterprise exceed by 3% the incomes. According to the international practice, ANRE should review the tariffs once in half a year, taking into account the price fluctuations on the energy market. The increase in the delivery price of power to 4 cents would mean a tariff of 1.2 lei for the final consumers.