Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev instructed the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure to work out the tender conditions in concert with the Ministry of Economy and Trade and announce a contest for building the high pressure gas pipeline Balti-Ungheni as soon as possible. Also, Tarlev asked “Moldova-Gaz” SA to work with the relevant ministries and with the local public administrations and formulate a project for constructing medium pressure gas pipelines inside the settlements. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that the gasification process in villages and communes is so slow. Under the gasification program until 2010, the Government is to build gas pipelines to every settlement of the country, while the local public administrations are to construct the pipelines inside the settlements. Over 60% of the country’s settlements have been connected to the natural gas ducts until present. According to the Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Vladimir Antosii, an additional 1.322 bln lei is needed to gasify the rest of the settlements. The 46-km long high pressure gas pipeline Tocuz – Cainari - Mereni was put in commission this year at a cost of 170 mln lei. It supplies with gas the settlements of the zone and the municipality of Chisinau.