Termocom will not propose a new heating charge for 2007 to Chisinau authorities

Termocom SA will not present a new heating charge for 2007 because it has already suggested one to the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) at the start of this year. Info-Prim Neo quotes the heat supplier as saying in a press release that it is an absurdity to propose a new charge because this runs counter to the methodology of fixing tariffs and to the practice of implementing it and because the charge must be set for the next year and not for the previous year. The press release was issued on Tuesday evening amid disputes between the heat supplier and the Chisinau administration exacerbated by the decision of the District Economic Court of December 14 by which the City Hall is obliged to settle the debt of 149 million lei owed to Termocom. At Monday’s meeting of the City Hall, Mayor General Dorin Chirtoaca said that the Chisinau administration appealed the given decision to court because the decision was hurried up. “The decision was made in an extraordinary haste. This shows once again how questionable this decision is,” the mayor said. According to Dorin Chirtoaca, Termocom SA maintains that the City Hall owes about 150 million lei to it though the charge was canceled. “They want to bring the City Hall to payment incapacity, but I don’t think they will manage to do this,” Chirtoca said. In the press release, Termocom denies the mayor’s assertions about the way in which the decision was passed and about its quality and accuses him of “misleading the public opinion”. The conflict between Termocom SA and the City Hall arose after the CMC cancelled the heating charge of 540 lei on December 4 and restored the previous one of 233 lei for the population. The heat supplier responded by halting the supply of hot water in the municipality and disconnecting the City hall from the heating system. Ten days ago, the mayor said that Termocom has contractual obligations towards all the beneficiaries and it is obliged to supply heat regardless of the size of the tariff. He also said that in such a situation Termocom should submit its arguments for a new charge to the City Council for consideration.