Moldovan Deputy Premier Tells Parliament About Shortage of Fuel for Winter BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union - Political Infotag news agency, Chisinau

October 05, 2000

Text of report in English by Moldovan news agency Infotag

Chisinau [Kishinev], 5th October: Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Cosarciuc believes the coal and furnace oil reserves, available at the moment, are definitely insufficient for the country to pull through the winter season.

Speaking in parliament today, he informed the legislature that the coal reserve is 71,000 tons instead of the necessary 85,000, and fuel oil - only 28,000 tons instead of the necessary minimum of 100,000 tons. "Suppliers are ready to deliver immediately as much as we ask, but only after we pay," he said.

In his words, it is only the state budget which promptly pays for the energy consumed by public entities. As for local budgets, they pay no more than 40 per cent their energy bills. The housing sector in the localities owes 46m lei to the Thermocomenergo company. And Chisinau city owes 195m lei (16m dollars) for centralized heating, of which 100m lei are the 1999 debts.

All Moldovan heating-supplying enterprises are technically ready for the winter season, with the exception of some minor problems in the Soroca, Ungheni and Cantemir judets [provinces] where the repair of local heating networks is approaching its end. By 1st November, the government shall announce 100-per-cent technical and organizational preparedness for the heating season, Mr Cosarciuc promised.

Chisinau, too, is looking forward to completing all the remaining minor arrangements for the season in the very near future. The municipality has concluded a contract on the supply of 20,000 tons of fuel oil as a reserve for the city's thermal-electric power plants.

"Even if the gas supply is suddenly cut completely, this oil amount will be enough to keep the heating networks in workable shape during a month," the deputy prime minister said

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 05, 2000