OREANDA-NEWS. October 18, 2010. Moldovagaz to appeal against the court’s decision on cancelation of new tariffs for gas as it will affect the accounts with Gazprom. This was communicated in the JSC Moldovagaz, specifying that the judicial decision constituted a real danger for the country’s energy safety, and the daily losses of the enterprise from it amounted to over 2 million lei (USD170 thousand).

The Company emphasizes that the SCJ, reducing the tariffs for gas by its decision, exceeded its authority, assuming the function of a regulatory body, and such actions will affect the relations between Moldova and Gazprom. Pursuant to the applicable tariff methodology, the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) will have to include the losses inflicted in the following revision of tariffs as financial deviations. In turn, it will result in sharper increase of tariffs. Besides, the additional losses of gas enterprises as a result of these injudicious actions may also provoke the increase of tariffs for the natural gas.

Subsequently, all consequences of these actions will lie heavy on the consumers. Moldovagaz says that the authors of such actions realize it very well; however, in conditions of forthcoming preterm parliamentary elections they pursue their own objects. At the same time, according to Moldovagaz, keeping valid the provisional measures the Supreme Court of Justice of Moldova broke the legislation that stipulates directly the terms of application of the provisional measures. Moldovagaz intends to protect its interests and the right of its shareholders till the end, including at the international level.

In Moldova the average tariff for natural gas for final consumers increased earlier by 14,1% - up to 4 thousand 098 lei per 1 thousand cubic meters (without 6% VAT). The ANRE took the decision on tariffs increase on May 14 on the proposal of JSC Moldovagaz, basing it on the growth of purchase price for natural gas in II quarter of 2010 from USD231,71 up to USD252 per 1 thousand cubic meters, change of exchange rate of the national currency, increase of charges and losses for maintenance and service of gas networks because of increase of minimal guarantee amount of salary in the real sector of economy, as well as financial losses in I quarter of 2010 on account of exchange difference.