Compensations to vary between 300 and 800 lei for November in Moldova; Labour Minister says citizens not to feel tariff increases

Chisinau, 29 November /MOLDPRES/ - The citizens will not feel the increases in tariffs. The clear-cut commitment of the government, through which the citizens will not pay more than in the last year, will be fully accomplished. Labour and Social Protection Minister Alexei Buzu has given assurances to this effect. The official today stressed that, in November, the beneficiaries would receive compensations worth between 300 and 800 lei, depending on the family’s incomes. The minister also said that, in case of adjustings of tariffs, the cabinet would increase also the size of the compensations provided to citizens.  

At a news conference, Minister Alexei Buzu emphasized that, in the previous season, the average of the post-compensation tariff had been of 12.20 lei for natural gas and the tariff for thermal energy had been of 1,480 lei for one Gcal.  

„In the last days, the level of citizens’ worry about the tariffs has risen very much. You should recognize that that, when we will establish the formula of providing compensations, for any type pf energy, we will observe the principle announced by Mr. Prime Minister Dorin Recean. Thus, the citizens, after receiving the compensation, will not pay more for the energy source as compared to the last year. So, we talk about a post-compensation tariff, a tariff which they pay after the families benefit from this compensation. This is the principal rule by which we were guided when we cleared up the formula and when we will establish the compensations for the citizens,’’ Alexei Buzu said.      

The official specified that all increases in tariff would be absorbed by the government. ‘’If increases come, the government will adjust the formula, in order to make sure that the citizens do not pay more. Next week, we will approve a government decision, through which we will regulate how the compensations are to be established for the citizens, for November.  The compensation will vary between 300 and 800 lei. Thus, no citizen, household or applicant who will benefit from compensation, no matter the type of energy with which they heat themselves, will receive a compensation lower than 300 lei. The compensation in this scale, from 300 to 800 lei, will be established individually, depending on the factors specific from the household and family of the applicant. If the incomes are lower, then also the compensation will be higher,’’ Alexei Buzu also said.   

The minister informed that, for next December, the government would approve adjustings to the formula of establishing the compensations. ‘’The payment will increase, so that we make sure that the increase in the tariff will not be felt by the citizens. The government will act like this each time in case of eventual increases in tariffs,’’ Buzu noted.  

The minister urged the citizens to rationally consume the energy resources. ‘’The consumption must be rational. The energy source is pretty expensive. In the case of natural gas, the government will compensate 150 cubic metres per month and will compensate 1.4 Gcal for the thermal energy. We estimated these values from the last two years. We made sure that this is a consumption which will provide a proper level of comfort for each family,’’ Alexei Buzu said.    

According to the official, in November, about 703,000 applicants were registered in the compensations system. Thus, 1.4 million citizens will potentially be beneficiaries of compensations in the first month. According, 346,000 applications were registered independently and 356,000 were registered with the support of social assistants.   

As for the principal energy source, 310,000 applicants – 44 per cent, indicated the use of solid fuel, 228,000 – 32 per cent, showed the use of natural gas; 135,000 applicants showed the centralized heating – 19 per cent, and another 28,000 showed the use of electric energy as source of heating – 4 per cent. On this period, 56,000 phone calls and 8,800 requests by email were received.  

„The date of 28 November was the last day when the citizens were able to fill in the applications to ask for compensations for energy for November. During the cold season, the applications can be submitted at any time; yet, the compensations will not be provided retroactively for the previous months. If the application is submitted after the date of 28 of the month, the compensations will be provided starting with the next month.  The compensations for November will be available in mid-December. The citizens will be notified. At the same time, all information can be verified in the personal office,’’ Alexei Buzu also said.   

The vulnerability categories are no longer used at the providing of compensations for the 2024-2025 cold season. The value of the compensation is calculated individually by the Energy Vulnerability information system.  

The government provides compensations for energy to the vulnerable households through the Assistance at Meter programme for the third year in a row. The consumers can benefit from compensations if they heat their households by use of natural gas, thermal energy, electric energy or solid fuel (wood, coal, pellets, briquettes). The compensations are provided for the cold period of the year, which included the months November-March.