There are currently no prerequisites for reducing gas tariffs for Moldovan consumers - Vadim Ceaban
The acting chairman of the board of Moldovagaz made this statement during the program “New Week with Anatolie Golea” on TV8. He noted that the state-owned company Energocom is responsible for gas purchases and is doing so quite professionally. The head of Moldovagaz said that he does not know at what price they are currently purchasing gas, but if we assess current prices on the international market, they remain high, and based on the current figures, there are no prerequisites for a tariff reduction. Vadim Ceban recalled that the current tariff in Moldova sets the purchase price of gas at €487.94 per 1,000 cubic meters. Taking into account transportation costs to the border, the average price of gas entering Moldova's gas transportation system since the beginning of the year has been €545 per 1,000 cubic meters, based on current quotations. The head of Moldovagaz noted that if a projection is made until the end of the year based on today's quotations, the average gas price will be €517 per 1,000 cubic meters. "The purchase price at which we can talk about a tariff reduction is €437 per 1,000 cubic meters. But one very important thing must be taken into account. We have already supplied and distributed to consumers for this period, plus June-July, about 468 million cubic meters of gas. By the end of the year, Energocom will need to supply an additional 350 million cubic meters, based on total consumption. So, in order to talk about a tariff reduction from August until the end of the year, we need to purchase gas at €266 per 1,000 cubic meters. And now we are talking about a price of €460 on the wholesale market in Moldova, including transportation. The difference is more than €200. Of course, I want consumers to have a lower price. But these are the prices on the market today," said Vadim Ceban. According to him, in addition, we must not forget that the transportation tariff has increased, and the tariff for natural gas distribution and sales has also increased. This also affects the final price. At the same time, there are still financial deviations of Moldovagaz that have accumulated during this period and will continue to accumulate. The head of Moldovagaz noted that the company buys gas on the exchange and does not know how the price is formed, even by Energocom. "We know approximately how the calculations are made, the average market prices. We buy at exchange prices and publish this price. We buy gas on the exchange through auctions, where there are six permanent participants. These are our local companies. We do not buy. We do not have access," said Vadim Ceaban. He noted that gas tariffs are approved by the National Agency for Energy Regulation, but simply based on the economy, the current figures; there are no prerequisites for reducing gas tariffs in Moldova. // 03.06.2025 – InfoMarket
