Economy Minister: Natural gas price will not grow

Romanian Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian declared on Thursday that the price for natural gas will not grow on October 1, Mediafax informs. Last week, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said that the gas distributors’ demand for a price raise is not justified, since the oil price on international markets decreased.

E.On Gaz Romania and Distrigaz Sud, two major natural gas distribution companies asked the National Energy Regulation Authority (ANRE) a 10% price increase for the natural gas provided to the populace.

The deputy general manager at Distrigaz Sud said that the price must grow in October, since the price for natural gas imports from Russia will also grow, „We currently buy natural gas with 500 dollars per 1,000 cubic meters and the price is expected to be 550 dollars in the fourth quarter. I don’t think there’s a chance for the price to remain at the same level”, said the official.

The last price increase for natural gas took place in on July 1 – 12.5%. At that time, the two companies announced that the new price doesn’t cover the losses and that a new price increase should be expected on October 1.