Parlicov on Nordgaz License Suspension: Theft from the Gas System Occurred

Gas supplies for 10 lei from Nordgaz Furnizare have been terminated. The license for natural gas supply activity has been suspended. Energy Minister Victor Parlicov provided more details during the programme “In Context” on Moldova 1 channel. “So, first of all, Nordgaz activity, in my opinion, has nothing to do with market liberalization. Because market liberalization means providing gas on the free market, when you look for gas, you find gas, you buy gas and then you sell gas at negotiated rates, at agreed prices with consumers. Nordgaz did not bring a single cubic meter of gas to Moldova. There was a lot of speculation in Nordgaz. Let’s say it caused a lot of expectations in the society, especially in the southern districts, in Taraclia district, in ATU Gagauzia, in Orhei district. And now I think that Sor should answer people’s questions about what happened. Why he is talking about gas for so long, in April he talked about gas for 12 lei, in October there was already a story about gas for 10 lei, in December he talked about gas for 137 dollars for Energocom. And there is still no gas. And the gas does not come. What did Nordgaz do and, as far as I understand, why did ANRE actually suspend the license. Indeed, their first customer was the very director of Nordgaz to whom they were supposed to supply gas. They were not importing gas, they were simply consuming gas from the system, supplying that gas as if it was their gas and they had brought it. But, in fact, this is a theft from the gas system. As I understand it, the Transgaz management was notified, ANRE intervened. Because usually a company has to possess a source of gas to deliver it. You can’t just take gasoline from somewhere and say this is your gasoline. And now you are selling it for 10 lei. Of course, if you steal it, you can sell it for 5 lei, you can sell it even for 1 lei. But this is not the essence of the free market. As we have stated from the beginning, we have no hesitations about encouraging the free market, and we encourage the true participants of the free market. Those who actually supply the gas and sell the gas. And there are companies that are doing that. The thing is, as I said, that Nordgaz has nothing to do with free market. Apart from the fact that they have alarmed the public and raised a fuss in the press, they have stopped supplying gas,” the minister said.