Former and current MPs and representatives of civil society demand that the authorities should make known the terms of the deal struck with Gazprom. Representatives of the parliamentary opposition call on the Government to swiftly agree a mechanism for compensating residential consumers for the tariffs so that the citizens with low incomes cope with the higher gas and electricity bills, IPN reports.
Energy experts said the decision to sign a new contract with Gazprom for a five-year period was most probably taken at the insistence of the Russian side. As the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development announced, the sides agreed to keep the old price calculation formula.
“It was clear from the start that the Russian Federation will not renounce its influence on the Republic of Moldova by halting gas supplies. It is important that this contract does not stipulate political concessions or a delay in the implementation of the Third Energy Package. At the same time, we must admit that the best price in the region comes from the Russian Federation. We cannot undertake to repay a debt of US$709 million during three years as this would be enormous pressure on the current tariff,” Ion Muntean, expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”, stated in the talk show “Ghețu Asks” on TV8 channel.
Former MP Vitalia Pavlichenko said that by signing a new contract for a five-year period, Russia would like to maintain its influence on Moldova so as to hinder its rapprochement with the EU.
“As the previous years showed, Russia in the discussions openly demands to abandon the European integration objectives in exchange for advantageous relations with Moscow. Lavrov recently said that Russia is bothered by the too open interference of EU representatives in the Republic of Moldova. That’s why the main preoccupation of Moscow in the Republic of Moldova is to keep this a satellite of Russia by a gas supply deal,” stated Vitalia Pavlichenko.
The parliamentary opposition demands that the authorities should make known all the terms of the contract so that society knows if political concessions were made. It considers the government should mandatorily compensate household users for the higher tariffs.
“We should know what happens to the historical debts, what the payment method is and what the price calculation formula is. Society should know very clearly the tariff for residential consumers as we realize that the old tariff will not be kept. In Romania, they proposed capping the tariff for end users, including for particular sectors of the economy, with the difference to be compensated by the state. Our citizens should also enjoy compensations,” said Șor Party MP Denis Ulanov.
Former Communist MP Alexandr Petkov considers the authorities should thoroughly analyze the activity of Moldovagaz so that society knows if this company works in the interests of the people.
“I remind Maia Sandu that to the October 20 meeting of the Shareholders’ Assembly, they delegated an adviser of the Public Property Agency to sign this contract for October, as a result of which amounts of gas were supplied to Transnistria, even if lower, at the price of US$790. The cost of the contract was of US$140 million. An adviser, not the minister came. We would like Maia Sandu to order that all the actions of the state over such enterprises as Moldovagaz should be taken as a result of decisions taken in public meetings of the Government,” stated Petkov.
The previous contract between Moldovagaz and Gazprom will be extended by five years using a price formula proposed by the Moldovan party, with supplies to start under the new contract on November 1. The agreement with Gazprom was reached in St. Petersburg yesterday. In October Moldova received gas under a one-month extension of the contract with Gazprom, albeit in lower than expected amounts. The difference was purchased during this period on the spot market, through the state company Energocom, at market prices.
