Opposition politicians in Moldova are using the recent spike in energy prices to their advantage in terms of enhancing their political capital, despite relevant decisions on the rise in prices having been made legally, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said on Monday
CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2022) Opposition politicians in Moldova are using the recent spike in energy prices to their advantage in terms of enhancing their political capital, despite relevant decisions on the rise in prices having been made legally, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said on Monday.
The opposition Socialist Party announced it aims to take Moldova's National Energy Regulatory Agency to court over last week's decision to increase gas tariffs for domestic consumers from $569 to $785 per 1,000 cubic meters, which came into effect retroactively on January 1. Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban also voiced the intention to join the suit.
"I regret that politicians cynically are using the energy crisis to increase political capital at the expense of the needs of citizens. We were forced to raise the tariff to ensure that all consumers have access to gas and heating in winter; this is a legitimate decision," Gavrilita told a briefing.
The government's decision is justified by the fact that it is a response to the energy crisis, she stressed.
In September 2021, the contract for gas supply between the national energy operator Moldovagaz and Russian gas giant Gazprom expired, with the latter decreasing the volume of gas until Moldova paid an outstanding debt. In late October, the sides agreed on the extension of the deal for five years provided Moldovagas conducts a debt audit this year.
However, earlier this month Moldova said it was unable to pay for current gas deliveries, and on January 20 the parliament introduced a state of emergency for 60 days to resolve the issue.
