Moldovan PM says government manages situation as to natural gas

Chisinau, 6 October /MOLDPRES/ - The government manages the situation as to the natural gas, so that the consumers have access to gas and not feel the increase in prices. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita made statements to this effect at a news conference following a cabinet meeting today.  

„We are on a transition period, when we negotiate the gas prices for a longer period. We watch an anomaly also on the international stage, when the prices grew by 60 per cent or it is clear that Gazprom will not want to maintain the current price for Moldova. The government manages the situation, so that the country has access to gas and is not hit by these increases in prices,’’ Natalia Gavrilita said.  

According to the PM, presently, decision-makers work on certain alternatives which might be, as well as on programmes of social assistance to protect the socially disadvantaged categories. ‘’The Infrastructure and Regional Development Ministry will subsequently come up with additional information on the situation in this respect,’’ the prime minister said.  

According to information made public by the Moldovagaz company, presently, Moldova receives by about 35 per cent less of the total needed volume for the residents from the right bank of Dniester. ‘’Starting from October, 54 million cubic metres of gas were contracted or 67 per cent out of the 80 million cubic metres   necessary for the consumers on the right bank of Dniester. Therefore, starting from 1 October, the effective daily consumption of natural gas in Moldova started exceeding the volume supplied by the Gazprom joint stock company. The lack of imports of gas is covered from the stock of gas from the gas mains of Moldova, which results in the decrease in the pressure in the system of transport of gas of Moldovatransgaz limited company,’’ the enterprise said.  

Also, the Moldovagaz stock company, in its capacity of gas supplier, appealed to its consumers with a request to reduce the gas consumption, including: a) the consumers who have possibility to switch to alternative fuels; the sugar mills, which can stock the sugar beet for a certain number of days, as well as the replacing of the excessive volume of consumption contracted with alternative fuel (crude oil). At the same time, the enterprises from Moldova’s thermal energy sector were proposed, in advance, to temporarily switch to alternative sources of fuel.