Moldova changed the formula for calculating domestic gas prices

MOSCOW, September 13 – PRIME. The National Regulator of the Energy Market of Moldova (ANRE) on Tuesday changed the calculation formula for the cost of gas.

On Tuesday, an open online meeting of the Board of Directors of ANRE was held, where a new methodology for determining gas prices was approved. Earlier, the head of the Moldovagaz enterprise, Vadim Cheban, announced in the media that this formula would change from October 1. Thus, 70% of the price will be formed depending on the cost of petroleum products (gas oil and fuel oil), and 30% – based on stock quotes.

“Given the significant fluctuations in the purchase price of natural gas with a sharp upward trend (an unprecedented situation in the natural gas market), natural gas suppliers who buy natural gas from foreign companies are facing a shortage of funds, which may jeopardize their ability to pay. Proposed The amendments will allow for prompt intervention in order to adapt purchase prices to current market conditions,” the ANRE said.

The ministry also noted that after changing the calculation methodology, the price of gas for end consumers may be lower than the current one, which has reached $1,883 per thousand cubic meters. In early August, ANRE increased the gas tariff for consumers from 18.62 lei to 23 lei per cubic meter, including VAT (the dollar exchange rate is 19.3 lei per dollar). ANRE proceeded from the average purchase price for the current year of $899 per thousand cubic meters. At the same time, the price of gas from Gazprom in August was $1,458.5.

In November, Moldova had problems with the transfer of payments on time, a delay was needed. In January, JSC “Moldovagaz” again faced difficulties in repaying the payment to “Gazprom”, the parliament introduced a state of emergency for 60 days. Sergei Kupriyanov, a spokesman for Gazprom, expressed fears that the non-payment crisis could repeat itself in the future.

“Gazprom” and “Moldovagaz” earlier extended the contract for the supply of gas for a period of five years, starting from November 1. Gazprom, in accordance with the conditions prescribed in the contract, which Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Spinu insisted on, established a purchase price formula that began to take into account the current situation on the spot market in European countries. Chisinau believed that this would allow the republic to save more, but the situation on the market has changed a lot, as a result, the price of gas for end consumers in the republic has almost quadrupled since last year.