Moldovan consumers to pay old rates for gas, electricity during two months

Chisinau, 3 September /MOLDPRES/- The Moldovan residents and economic agents will pay the old rates for gas and electricity, as a result of suspension, for a-60-day period, of the tariffs approved on 18 July 2015, Director-General of the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) Sergiu Ciobanu has said.
"On 26 August, I received a petition from the Supreme Security Council on rates approved on 18 July. We decided, by unanimous vote of all ANRE members, to suspend the decisions. This is a thing we do for the first time ever," he said. He added that the decision entered into force today, which means that "old rates are applied, which were before 18 July 2015. The bills sent to consumers for the current month will remain the same. We will talk to energy suppliers in case they act".
This is an unexpected decision, that raises certain questions, including the degree of independence of ANRE, given that even two months have not passed since the approval of the new rates, an IDIS Viitorul expert, Ion Muntean, said. He added that rates' adjustment to costs had been "critically needed", and cancellation of the decision would create difficulties to the energy companies.
The expert believes that it is “strange” that the audit will be paid by the companies facing financial problems. “We have an institution, methodology, all instruments which allow setting the rates; why should an audit by a foreign company be necessary. Another question is whether the spending to contract this company will be included in the new tariff,” Muntean also said.    
ANRE’s decision will favour the consumers and will put at risk the providers of electric energy and gas, a programme coordinator at the Expert-Grup Independent Analytical Centre, Alexandru Fala, said. At the same time, Fala added that he “absolutely agrees that an audit of the entire energy sector should have been made.”
Experts doubt the fact that, during two months, the companies will manage to organise a tender to select a foreign audit company and carry out the assessments.
The Managing Board of the National Energy Regulatory Agency at a today meeting ruled to suspend, for a 60-day period, its decisions from 18 July 2015 on the approval of the regulated tariffs for distribution and supply of electric energy and gas. On 18 July, the electricity rates rose by 30-37 per cent and the gas ones – by 15.4 per cent. The operators of the power and gas networks were recommended to organise, on the concerned period, an audit, by selecting well-renowned specialized companies, within which the quantum of the new tariffs calculated by operators and the correctness of these calculations are to be checked.
(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)