Moldovan energy regulator says there are no reasons for increase in gas tariffs for end consumers

Chisinau, 15 March /MOLDPRES/ - The National Energy Regulatory Agency  (ANRE) has said that, at the moment, there were no reasons for the increase in the gas tariffs for the end consumers, as the Moldovagaz enterprise has not submitted a request to this end.  

ANRE specified that, to adjust the tariffs, Moldovagaz must present “needed calculations, with plausible arguments in this respect.” Under the law on natural gas, “the Agency’s Administrative Board is obliged to consider the applications on the basic costs, regulated prices and tariffs on a period of 180 calendar days upon the application’s registration at the latest.”   

Starting from 1 January 2019, the price of the natural gas supplied to Moldova by the Gazprom Russian concern is of 237.46 dollars for 1,000 cubic metres of gas, - by 25 per cent higher against the import price from the same period of 2018. The concerned price is valid for the first half of this year.    

The latest re-evaluation of the gas tariff was made in mid-March 2018, when the gas tariff for the end consumers was decreased by an average of 20.3 per cent to 4,420 lei for 1,000 cubic metre of gas (without value added tax - VAT). The gas provider demanded an 11.4-per cent cut in the average tariff for the end consumers, from 5,545 lei for 1,000 cubic metres of gas to 4,914.97 lei.   

When estimating the tariff, Moldovagaz took into account an import price of gas of 178 dollars for 1,000 cubic metres, an exchange rate of 17.68 lei for one U.S. dollar and a consumption in 2018 of 1 billion 50 million cubic metres of gas.