Moldova to have heating in winter - deputy premier says

Chisinau, 2 Aug. /MOLDPRES/- The Republic of Moldova will be provided with a heating in the next cold season, whether it is natural gas and electricity, whether wood, coal or other alternative resources are provided, and the Government will be with the citizens in the following period. The statement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, who today held a press conference on the country's energy security.

"All household consumers, blocks with centralized heating, Termoelectrica, public institutions, the economic and production sector, despite the war started by Russia in Ukraine and several unknowns in the contract with the Russian concern Gazprom, will be functional and provided with heat in winter. For this, the Government has prepared several reasonable solutions, including stocks and management programs, which will allow us to get through this difficult winter well", Andrei Spînu declared.

According to the official, the Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund will be established in the Republic of Moldova, the purpose of which will be to prevent and combat the energy vulnerability of the population. Thus, monthly compensation for the payment of thermal energy bills in the centralized system, for the consumption of electricity and natural gas, is to be established for disadvantaged consumers. Subsidies will also be granted for the efficiency of the consumption of energy resources. In the same way, the "Energy Vulnerability" information system will be created, which will be intended for the accumulation of information on the parameters of energy vulnerability of household consumers and the management of the subsidy granting mechanism.

"The funding sources of the fund will be the means of the state budget, the European ones or other external sources. In this sense, the contract signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development can be mentioned, according to which the Government of the Republic of Moldova will contract a loan in the amount of 300 million euros, in order to create strategic natural gas stocks and diversify supply sources , as well as other aid from development partners. Thus, the risks related to possible limitations or interruptions in the supply of natural gas will be reduced in the context of the political situation and the evolution of energy markets in the region", he said.

Andrei Spînu named other laws and decisions of the Executive, aimed at reducing the energy crisis. Among them, the minister indicated the aid for small and medium-sized enterprises, the obligation to create stocks, the facilitation of the transition to more efficient alternative sources, etc. "In order to better manage the state of affairs, we will create a government commission that will make decisions on the subject, including overcoming the risks in case of gas supply limitation by Gazprom", he said.