OREANDA-NEWS. August 02, 2011. The Russian gas holding’s representatives said it to the Russia mass media, underlining that Transnistria takes gas from the transit gas pipeline supplying gas to the Balkan (Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania) and to the left-bank part of Moldova, that pay for gas in the 100-percent volume.

“There is no alternative way of supplying them with the contracted gas, that means that gas supply to Transnistria cannot be stopped”, said Gazprom representatives. They stressed that Transnistria’s gas debt had exceeded USD 2.7 bln and none of the states has ever allowed accumulation of such arrears. For example, Gazprom ceased gas supply to Ukraine and Belarus for much smaller debts. The Russian gas holding says Tiraspol tried to pay at least some part of the consumed gas till 2006.

However, since then, the Transnistrian gas company Tiraspolitransgaz left the membership of the Moldovagaz (50% of which belong to the Gazprom) and stopped any relations with it, and now is acting ignoring Moldova and Russia, consuming gas and funds earned from its sale at its own discretion.

The home gas fees in Transnistrian don’t reflect the market cost of this fuel, while Moldova pays USD 350 for 1,000 to Gazprom for Russia gas, selling it to its consumers even at a higher price. At the same time, Transnistrian prices for Russia gas is comparable with the prices fixed in Russia for home consumption.

For instance, if in the Moscow region, wholesale gas prices for further sale to population vary between USD 78 and USD 85 for 1,000 cubic meters, and for sale to enterprises - USD 113- USD 123, then in Transnistria the prices are the following: population pays USD 78 for 1,000 cubic meters; enterprises - USD 140.