PM: We will strictly punish for unreasonable hikes in bills for housing and communal services for citizens

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman warns providers of housing and communal services that the Government will punish severely for the unreasonable overpricing in the bills for citizens. He said this during a Government meeting on Wednesday.

Volodymyr Groysman noted that some residents of Kyiv had received bills for heating with excessive numbers.

The Prime Minister instructed the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Kistion to deal with the situation.

"It's kind of a mistake, but it's rather strange – I mean this mistake. When someone is trying to undermine the situation and bring on hysteria, the bills appear to have twofold-threefold tariffs, completely unrealistic, exaggerated," said Volodymyr Groysman.

"I’d prefer to avoid such mistakes on the part of service providers – power providing companies, heat providers, water providers. I think you need to apologize, on the one hand, and on the other hand, I warn you that if we see that somewhere in the regions similar things happen, we will impose strict penalties for things like this. I think that there can be a matter of criminal liability for including inadequate sums in bills. I warn everyone that this is unproper to toy with it and tease people", stressed the Head of Government.

According to the Prime Minister, the service provider and the Kyiv city state administration should quickly rectify this situation.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine will figure out the situation following the inspection by the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Kistion.  

"We must check this situation: if it's a mistake, we will settle the problem, if not a mistake, those guilty must be punished for such things," said Volodymyr Groysman.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Government had provided real compensatory mechanisms for the citizens after the introduction of market gas prices – subsidies and installment payments.

"When we see that someone allows himself to increase twice, three times and creates inappropriate bills, this is a very serious issue," he urged.  

The Head of Government offered all those who are trying to undermine the situation to do something useful for the country: "Here we have a lot of work. We have enough for everyone."