Moldovan Commission for Emergency Situations approves new measures to ensure energy security, increase natural gas reserves

Chisinau, 15 September /MOLDPRES/ - The Energocom stock company will purchase, based on the framework-contract with EFET (European Federation of Energy Traders) and the Moldovagaz stock company will ensure the delivery and will sell to Energocom 5 million cubic metres of natural gas at a purchasing price of  1,882.78 USD/1,000 cubic metres. The preservation of the natural gas bought will be provided by the Moldovatransgaz Limited Company. An instruction to this effect was approved at a today’s meeting of the Commission for Emergency Situations (CSE), chaired by Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.   

Also, given the high volatility of the regional natural gas market, Energocom will be able to sell and buy natural gas through direct negotiations or through commodity exchanges on the markets of the countries members of the Energy Community, at the most reasonable prices. As much as 200 million lei will be allocated for increasing the registered share capital of Energocom at the expense of the change of balances of financial means at state budget’s accounts.  

In order to ensure the needed quantity of crude oil for the cold period of the year, the Commission for Emergency Situations ruled that the Termoelectrica stock company will purchase, through direct negotiations, and will sign contracts on sale/purchase of crude oil in a quantity of up to 190,000 tons, after the preliminary approval at the company’s board. The procurement made by Termoelectrica will be exempted from the payment of the value added tax (VAT), excise duty and customs duty for a period which will not exceed 31 May 2023. The transportation of the quantity of crude oil bought will be provided, in priority regime, by the Railway of Moldova state enterprise, within the limit of the available number of cisterns and locomotives.     

At the same time, according to CSE decision, till 1 May 2023, the placement of crude oil classified at more tariff positions is exempted from the payment of excise duty.  

The Moldsilva Forestry Agency will ensure the commercialization of the volume of wood mass harvested or/and present in stock exclusively to household consumers, entities of public interest, as well as to the accredited providers of social services, which will notify the Labour and Social Protection Ministry about the volume procured in a period of three days after the acquisition.   

Also, the CSE members ruled to allocate financial means from the government’s intervention fund, in order to cover the expenses borne for the management of refugees’ crisis. Thus, the Labour and Social Protection Ministry (MMPS) will receive 2,424.5 thousand lei for covering the costs of work of the temporary placement centres for refugees, created by the public institutions subordinated to the central public authorities and 127.5 thousand lei for the ones set up by the public sector institutions subordinated to MMPS.   

At the same time, to provide the increase of compensation for the work carried out in conditions of high risk for health, at a request by territorial social assistance structures directly involved in the process of management of the migration flow and the one of refugees, 367.1 thousand lei will be earmarked. At the same time, 3,273.7 thousand lei will be allocated to the second level local public authorities and 608.8 thousand lei – to the first level ones.

Another provision approved by CSE deals with the humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. To this end, the Commission approved the providing, for free, as international assistance, of material assets managed by the Interior Ministry’s General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, worth over 5 million lei.   

The CSE members also ruled that the hunting would be allowed exclusively on the open grounds, within the limits of the quotas of harvesting approved for the 2022-2023 hunting season. The shooting and the stay with the charged gun will be banned at a distance smaller than 10 km from the state border with Ukraine, as well as at a distance smaller than 2 km from the outskirts of the Chisinau and Balti cities and of 1 km from the outskirts of any other settlements. At the same time, on the period of the emergency state, the introduction by foreign citizens of weapons and ammunitions for participating in hunting is banned.    

Another decision refers to the legal entities and private people registered as entrepreneurs – agricultural producers. They will pay, not later than 25 November 2022, the tax on real estate/land tax related to real estate/ lands existing or acquired till 25 September 2022.  

Photo: Government