Parliament will hold hearings on energy amid Moldovagaz’s request for gas tariff increase
Next week, Parliament will conduct public hearings to address the current energy situation. This initiative was announced on November 27 by Radu Marian, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on economy, budget, and finance, following Moldovagaz's request to raise the tariff for household consumers’ natural gas by over four lei. According to Marian, the hearings will explore the reasons behind this request.
“Moldovagaz has submitted a request to increase the natural gas tariff. While we await ANRE’s decision, this announcement by the company has understandably caused dissatisfaction and confusion among many citizens, especially given that some officials recently made optimistic statements about the energy situation,” said Radu Marian, deputy from PAS.
The hearings will address the unexpected request for an increase in the natural gas tariff and seek to identify solutions to minimize the risk of sudden tariff adjustments in the future.
“The exact date of the parliamentary hearings will be announced following the ANRE's decision,” Marian said.
On November 26, Moldovagaz submitted a request to ANRE for a gas tariff increase to 17 lei and 46 bani, including VAT, up from the current rate of 13 lei and 12 bani. The company justifies this request by citing a seven percent increase in the purchase price, which averages over 520 dollars per one thousand cubic meters.
This request was made a day after Energy Minister Victor Parlicov met with Gazprom President Alexei Miller in St. Petersburg to discuss natural gas supplies to Moldova under the existing contract, especially if transit through Ukraine is interrupted.
This announcement contradicts recent statements made by Prime Minister Dorin Recean during a government meeting, where he assured citizens that they would not face higher tariffs for natural gas and electricity this season. ANRE is scheduled to meet at 10:00 to decide on the proposed tariff adjustment.
