PM demands Energy Ministry take adequate measures to stabilize the energy market

Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk demands that the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry take appropriate measures to stabilize the energy market. He said this at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday, 31 March.

The Prime Minister said that today he held a meeting on the state in the energy sector, "the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry requests to extend the state of emergency in the energy sector for the sixth time."

He stressed that he was "extremely dissatisfied" with what was happening in this area: "I see that the extension of emergency reflects the real situation in the energy sector. Already 2.5 billion of debts, a mess in payments with electric energy enterprises. There is no coal, as always."

The Government, according to him, will continue today emergency in the power sector for another month, "And the Minister’s responsibility lies in completion of four items in terms of a report and it will be a precondition for us to finally complete a state of emergency."

First, Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed, the Energy Ministry with NERC must submit a forecast balance in the power industry.

Another item, he emphasized, - repayment of wage arrears to miners: "The Government had allocated UAH200 million, the market had given UAH250 million. This UAH250 million went somewhere - for a bank that has already gone bankrupt."

Arseniy Yatsenyuk also stressed that NERC should operate according to "fair tariff". In addition, the Prime Minister said that the Parliament should adopt a bill on "fair green tariff". It must meet market conditions, not lobbying ones."

Another bill, which needs approval by the Parliament, provides for granting the Government the power to introduce rules on the electricity market in the temporarily occupied territories, "including in the area of anti-terrorist operation."

"I demand that the Ministry take appropriate measures to stabilize the energy market. We endured this winter, thus we must start preparing for the next one," Arseniy Yatsenyuk emphasized.