Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu made this statement, noting that "Moldovagaz" is controlled by Russia's "Gazprom," so any changes there are neither easy nor quick to implement. Nevertheless, the authorities have already taken important steps. They have transferred the gas supply function from "Moldovagaz" to the state-owned company Energocom. Energocom's staff is now smaller: 180 employees instead of 260, and the company's total administrative expenses amount to about 50 bani. As Dorin Junghietu noted, another important step was the consolidation of 12 MoldovaGas subsidiaries, such as Chișinău-Gaz, Bălți-Gaz, and others. The goal of these measures is to optimize operations. However, he urged people not to forget that these companies employ about 5,000 people, primarily engineers, technical specialists, and emergency response teams. It is these employees who maintain the networks, respond to emergencies, and, ultimately, ensure the delivery of natural gas to consumers. Nearly 60% of distribution costs go toward the salaries of these employees, who play a key role in the system's operation. We are talking about technical staff, not management. The salary of the head of "Moldovagaz" is not included in the tariff. The National Agency for Energy Regulation takes only justified expenses into account when setting the tariff. The Minister of Energy emphasized that improving the efficiency of the distribution system is necessary to lower gas prices in Moldova. According to him, opportunities for savings exist, and the authorities are implementing the necessary changes in stages without compromising the safety of the networks. "For 30 years, no changes were made at 'Moldovagaz,' which controlled all stages—procurement, transportation, and distribution. We are correcting the situation step by step and building a reliable energy system," stated Dorin Junghietu. // 05.10.2026 — InfoMarket.