Moldovan parliament speaker asks for foreign expertise to analyse increase of gas, electricity rates

Chisinau, 22 April /MOLDPRES/ - A foreign expertise is needed to determine how grounded the requests to increase electricity and gas rates are, said Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu in a televised appearance on 21 April. Moreover, the official said he would ask the Prosecutor General’s Office to check the reasoning of an eventual increase, in case "the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) takes a decision and it is arbitrary."

According to the speaker, solutions must be found for the rates to remain at the same level as before.

Gas Natural Fenosa requested an increase in the electricity rates by "at least 50 per cent" starting from 1 April, up to an average of 2.30 lei for 1 kilowatt. At the same time, RED North and RED Nord-Vest state enterprises demanded an increase in tariffs by an average of  50 per cent and 61 per cent respectively.

Energy providers reason the request to increase prices by the national currency depreciation, given that the purchases are made in US dollars and the supply to end consumers in Moldovan lei. In setting electricity tariffs in 2012, an exchange rate of 11.83 lei for one dollar was taken into account. The official exchange rate, announced by the National Bank, currently exceeds 18.3 lei per dollar.

The Moldovagaz natural gas supplier demanded tariff increases for gas deliveries by an average of 48 per cent from the current level of 5,666 lei per one thousand cubic meters up to 8,386 lei. Experts note however, that the import price decreased by 20 per cent in the first quarter, and in the second quarter of 2015, by another 18 per cent, which would prompt ANRE to only partly accept Moldovagaz’s demand.

The issue of upgrading the electricity and gas rates was to be considered at a meeting on 10 April, but was postponed for an indefinite period.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor A. Raileanu)