Moldova’s National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) is set to decide today, September 28, on new tariffs for natural gas and district heating, with several political parties opposing the proposed increases and planning a protest outside the regulator’s headquarters.
ANRE’s public meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. The regulator published the draft decisions on September 24, including proposals concerning regulated natural gas prices and heating tariffs.
For natural gas, ANRE has proposed a regulated price of 24.20 lei per cubic metre, excluding VAT. With 8% VAT, the final price for household consumers would reach 26.14 lei per cubic metre.
Consumers currently pay 20.30 lei per cubic metre, under a tariff that came into force on September 1. The previous tariff was 14.42 lei per cubic metre.
The regulator is also considering higher tariffs for district heating produced by Termoelectrica. ANRE has proposed a tariff of 3,277 lei per gigacalorie, compared with the 3,689 lei requested by the company. The current tariff is 2,020 lei per gigacalorie.
In northern Moldova, ANRE has proposed a tariff of 3,374 lei per gigacalorie for heat supplied by CET-Nord. The company requested 4,313 lei, while the current tariff for consumers in Balti is 2,201 lei.
The proposed increases have triggered criticism from several opposition and extra-parliamentary political groups, which have announced their participation in a protest outside ANRE.
The Democracy at Home party, led by MP Vasile Costiuc, said it would take part in the demonstration and is demanding explanations regarding the economic justification for the proposed tariff increases.
Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban has also called on residents to attend the protest at 10:00 a.m. He said he would participate personally and stressed that the demonstration should take place without party symbols.
The Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) has also announced support for what it described as legal protests against the current government. PSRM leader Igor Dodon has called on citizens to participate in actions organized against the planned price increases.
The European Social Democratic Party (PSDE), led by Vasile Bumacov, has likewise announced that its representatives will join the protest. The party has called for greater transparency over the calculation and justification of the proposed tariffs.
ANRE says the draft decisions are based on applications submitted by licensed energy companies and are being considered through the regulator’s public decision-making process. The proposals cover not only natural gas and the heating supplied by Termoelectrica and CET-Nord, but also several other district heating providers.
The final tariffs will be determined by ANRE’s Administrative Board at its September 28 meeting.