Energy Minister Victor Parlicov answered the questions of economic agents who have to choose by July 1 which gas market they want to remain on - the free or the regulated one, according to the provision of the Commission for Exceptional Situations of May 31. A meeting on the subject was organized with the entrepreneurs' associations and the Economic Council under the prime minister.

According to Moldovagaz data, in recent months, 86 economic agents have chosen to change their gas supplier by migrating from the supplier of last resort, which has a tariff regulated by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE), to suppliers on the free market. 54 companies each have two contracts, being simultaneously on both markets. With the CSE decision, the government intervened to stop this migration and make some changes in the regulatory framework.

The tariff regulated by ANRE is usually set annually, and includes the weighted average price of natural gas, plus correction elements, whether negative or positive. Even though it has been in force since 2016, de facto market liberalization occurred relatively recently, when other suppliers started importing gas at more favorable prices on the international market.

Minister Victor Parlicov said that the Government welcomes the liberalization of the market in line with European legislation, but believes that in the process of liberalization, fairness between consumers must be preserved. Thus, negative deviations, which are money not paid by consumers for gas purchased more expensively, are to be paid by all. "Mature, responsible consumers who are able to assume all the risks, including the risks of gas non-supply, balancing and other risks, are entering the free market. Those who choose to exit the free market must be aware of and assume the consequences," the energy minister said.

ANRE Director Alexei Taran said that if at the end of last year negative tariff deviations of about 2.5 billion lei had not accumulated, this winter's prices would have been lower and now they would have fallen even more. At the same time, the deviations have been part of the methodology for decades.
It was agreed that on Monday Moldovagaz will send to all economic agents affected by the CSE decision the calculations of the single equity payment. Companies that choose to leave the free market will have to pay it. One of the proposals was that this payment should be made in installments, until the end of the year, exactly following the logic of the recovery of tariff deviations through regulated prices.

Minister Victor Parlicov announced that the ministry is continuing to work with ANRE to find a permanent solution to such a problem, which will give business more predictability.