The gas charge could decrease in the spring or summer of this year, said the chairman of the Parliament’s commission on economy, budget and finance Radu Marian. According to him, if the purchase price of gas decreases, the charge will also decline. The government cannot influence the price of gas, but it can help the citizens to cope with the high charges by paying compensation to them, IPN reports.
The MP noted that Moldova cannot influence prices on the international market, but can help the citizens cope with the burden of bills.
“In the last three years, we have allocated colossal amounts to offset the rise in charges. The current winter season, a vast majority of citizens, who asked for compensation, benefited from a gas charge of about 12 lei. 90% of those who applied for compensation paid 12 lei per cubic meter of gas. The reduction announced by ANRE benefits either those who have higher incomes or those who have not asked for compensation. Why was the tariff reduced so late? It depended on the period when we bought the gas. We are not a country that produces, but a country that imports gas. We depend exclusively on the quotations on the international market,” Radu Marian stated in the talk show “Nonconfidential” on Radio Chisinau station.
According to the PAS MP, if the purchase price of gas on the international market declines in a few months, a further decrease in charges can follow. An eventual reduction in charges will not be politically capitalized on in the campaign prior to the presidential election.
“If there are no sudden increases or sudden changes on the international market, it’s possible that there will be reductions in charges in spring, summer or autumn. It doesn’t go to the election. We shouldn’t lower the charges if there is an election or what? If there are preconditions, they will be reduced. The energy crisis was caused solely by Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Russian blackmail. We have no control over such things. What we can do is to support the people through compensation. Last year we got rid of the dependence on Russian gas. What is the most important is that they will never be able to blackmail us again. We have the freedom to buy gas from anywhere. As long as the market price is lower than what Gazprom offers, we will obviously buy on the international markets,” said the chairman of the Parliament’s commission on economy, budget and finance.
On February 23, the new gas charges approved by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) entered into force. Thus, residential consumers now pay a charge of 13 lei and 39 bani (excluding VAT) for one cubic meter of gas.
