OREANDA-NEWS. The government decided to raise gas tariffs for industrial consumers in 2022-24 faster than the usual rate of three percent per year, as Kommersant writes. This is how the authorities are going to finance the extended gasification program.

According to the new version of the socio-economic forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development, in 2022 the wholesale gas tariff should grow by five percent, in 2023 and 2024 - by four percent. The previous version of the document called for a standard growth of three percent.

The accelerated increase will not affect the population - for them the price of gas in the next three years will grow at the same rate, that is, by three percent. The publication notes the unusual measure taken by the government, since the growth of gas tariffs has traditionally been restrained by the authorities in any economic conditions.

The reason for the accelerated indexation is not disclosed in the forecast, but it may lie in the government's desire to pass on to industrial consumers part of the costs of the gasification program for households. The State Council came up with such an initiative in the spring.

Completion of gasification is expected by 2030. By this time, gas should be supplied to 83 percent of households. At the same time, the terms of the program provide that its financing will not be carried out at the expense of the population.

According to analysts' estimates, Gazprom's additional revenue in the next three years may amount to about 80 billion rubles. The income of independent producers, whose supply volumes are comparable to those of Gazprom, may increase by the same amount.