Moldovan acting PM wants no more additional gas consumption on citizens’ invoices

Chisinau, 14 January /MOLDPRES/-Acting Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega during a cabinet meeting today required Deputy Prime Minister, acting Economics Minister Stephane Bride that the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) amend the gas supply regulation within one week and adjust it to the legislation in force, in order to avoid including additional gas consumption on the citizens’ invoices.

“The number of citizens’ petitions and complaints, according to which they must pay an extra amount of gas from 2 to 10 cubic meters every month, has increased lately. The Economics Ministry did not provide an explanation on this. As far as I understand, the gas provider guides itself by the regulation on the gas supply and use, approved by ANRE in 2011,” Brega said.     

The supplier says that the regulation provides for his right to estimate the consumption, however, according to the law on natural gas “the consumer is paying the gas price in compliance with the indicators shown by the measuring equipment and contractual clauses”.

The acting prime minister said the inclusion of an additional amount from 2 to 10 cubic meters of gas on the invoices, leads to a greater impoverishment of the population. Moreover, unsatisfied people must pay in order to get recalculations, as such services are provided by a private company inside the headquarters of ChisinauGaz gas provider.

According to Brega, citizens would pay even less if the quality of the gas is taken into account.

Bride said ANRE is not subordinated to the Economics Ministry. However, he added that he would inform ANRE of the prime minister’s message.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor A. Raileanu)