Valeriu Lazar to collect information before proposing dismissing Ilarion Popa

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said he wants to collect information before presenting the draft decision on the dismissal of Deputy Minister of Economy Ilarion Popa, which was asked by the Premier, Info-Prim Neo reports. ”I will see. The Prime Minister probably knows more,” Valeriu Lazar told the reporters. When asked if a lower price for power could not be negotiated, he said that the problem resides not in the price, but in the purchasing power of the Moldovan end-users. ”The price is as it is. The problem is that our consumers cannot pay it. When we speak about the tariffs and prices of energy resources, we must not compare ourselves with the countries that have own gas and electric power resources, as Ukraine and Russia. If we had the necessary financial resources to develop our own power cogeneration capacities, we would solve the problem in several years,” said Valeriu Lazar. He also said that the gas and energy supply sources should be diversified by building interconnections with Romania and integrating the country into the European energy market. Prime Minister Vlad Filat on April 4 instructed Valeriu Lazar to submit a draft decision on the discharge of Ilarion Popa in the next meeting of the Cabinet. Popa coordinates energy-related matters in the Ministry. The Premier accuses him of the delayed signing of the contracts for the supply of Moldova with electricity.