Members and sympathizers of Our Party (PPPN) protested in front of the Centru Court of Chisinau City. The protesters sought a retroactive reduction in the natural gas charge. Earlier, the party requested this in court and the first court hearing on the issue was held on Wednesday, IPN reports.
Before the crowd, the party’s leader Renato Usatyi said that this is not a political event, but one designed for all the Moldovan citizens. According to him, the court appeal was filed as early as August last year. Then PPPN sued the Commission for Emergency Situations to force it to order that the National Agency for Energy Regulation should apply reduced natural gas charges for end users, which were approved on June 7, 2023, with retroactive effect, starting February 1, 2023.
“In May, when the whole globe bought gas at a price of €300, in Moldova they continued to buy it for €1,000 and to give it for €1,500 to the citizens. The government gave in and reduced the charge from 29 to 18 lei. It was a success and it was important that we showed the real face of the government, which was preparing for elections,” said Renato Usatyi. According to him, the recent decline in gas charges also comes in the context of the presidential election.
The politician asserted that the authorities are obliged to do recalculations. The people accumulated debts due to the exorbitant natural gas charges.
Attending the event, the mayor of Balti Alexandr Petkov said that there are over 780,000 families that are gas consumers in the country. Authorities’ decisions related to natural gas purchases and charges were favored the “gas mafia”, not the population. The mayor called on the judiciary to do justice to the consumers.
After hearing the arguments, the Centru Court is expected to pass its judgment on March 29. Renato Usatyi said that he would wait for the decision of the first court and would then decide the further actions.
