In Moldova, the most vulnerable segments of the population will receive compensation for energy consumed in cash during this heating season, and not, as before, by debiting their accounts, this was announced today, September 5, by the head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Alexey Buzu.
According to him, the authorities are already preparing a new assistance programme for the winter period. The assistance programme will cover the period from November to March and, in order to receive the payment, citizens will have to submit an online application.
“All compensation will be paid in cash. Our research shows that this approach is much more effective.” – the minister noted.
Buzu was unable to provide information on the number of beneficiaries, explaining that the exact information would be known later. Negotiations with the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova are ongoing regarding the rapidly rising prices of energy resources and the limited budget of the programme.
Let us recall that at the end of last year the Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Rechan The country has promised to reduce gas prices for the upcoming heating season. However, the republic is no longer able to replenish its reserves of blue fuel sufficiently, as prices on European stock exchanges have risen by almost 30% in a month.
Chisinau, however much it may wish to, can no longer buy from Gazprom. Now all the Russian gas received (5.7 million cubic meters per day) is sent to Transnistria so that the Moldovan state district power plant located there can generate up to 88% of the Republic of Moldova’s electricity needs. Since the new year, kyiv has blocked the transit of Russian gas, in which case Moldova will have to buy electricity from Romania at a price several times higher than now.
Authorities estimate that more than 65% of Moldovan families’ income is spent on paying ever-rising utility bills.
As reported EADaily Starting from November 2022, the Government of the Republic of Moldova partially compensated for the increase in electricity, gas and heating tariffs for the most vulnerable segments of the population. 800 thousand households were registered on a special platform, 80% of which were assigned a very high degree of vulnerability. This means that the government paid half of their bills, but provided that there were no past debts.
