“By the abusive decisions made by the Moldovan authorities together with “Gazprom”, the debt for gas of the right bank of the Nistru was increased illegally by about US$952 million. The fraudulent management of the enterprise “Moldovagaz” also contributed to the increase of the gas debt. Instead of paying for the consumed gas, the enterprise spent money on building a new head office or made unjustified purchases, accumulating debts for gas,” said experts of the WatchDog.MD Community, who noted that it is inacceptable for these debts to be paid by the gas consumers. According to them, the payment of the debt for gas, without determining its real value, means covering of all the frauds committed in the natural gas sector during the last 27 years.
“Debt of US$7.9bn rises daily”
In a news conference at IPN, where there was presented a study of the debt for gas, energy expert Sergiu Tofilat said there is the protocol of the joint Moldovan-Russian commission of September 2019, which says that the debt for gas of SA “Moldovagaz”, for both banks of the Nistru, in August 2019 represented US$ 6.1 billion. The report of September 30, 2019 produced by the Russian company “Gazprom” shows the debt was of US$ 6.5 billion. This way, the difference for two months is of at least US$360 million. “Taking into account the volume of Moldova’s gas consummation, it is impossible for the debt to rise by over US$300 million during two months, explained Sergiu Tofilat.
According to him, in such conditions, the conclusion is that not even the authorities know Moldova’s exact debt for gas. But the debt can be deduced from two documents as there are two components: direct debt to “Gazprom” totaling US$6.7 billion and the debt of US$1.2 billion of “Moldovagaz” to “Factoring Finance”, which is a daughter company of “Gazprom”. The total debt is of US$7.9 billion, which rises daily, hourly,” stated the expert.
“Debt of right bank was increased artificially by at least US$952m”
The same protocol stipulates that the debt of the right bank, which is of the consumers from the Republic of Moldova without the Transnistrian region, is of US$443 million. “According to our estimates and documents based on which the study was conducted, the right bank’s debt for gas was increased artificially by at least US$952 million by different illegal actions,” stated Sergiu Tofilat. According to him, the figures from the protocol of the joint Moldovan-Russian commission are not correct and go against the financial reports of “Gazprom”.
As regards the left bank’s debt, the expert said this debt is not recognized, with small exceptions. However, there are sufficient arguments that this debt should be declared odious as the supply of gas on credit by “Gazprom” to the left side of the Nistru is nothing else but financing of separatism in the Republic of Moldova. “If we analyze these commercial relations between “Gazprom”, “Moldovagaz” and the Transnistrian region, an ordinary question appears “Why does “Gazprom” continue to supply gas to the left side of the Nistru if they don’t pay? As ordinary consumers, if we do not pay a month for gas, we are simply disconnected,” noted Sergiu Tofilat.
“No government should pay these debts without an audit”
Energy expert Tudor Șoitu said the most revolting thing that happened in the administration of the gas sector of the Republic of Moldova is the fact that no prime minister, minister of economy or inspection body acted in time. As puppets, they accepted any value of the debts to “Gazprom”. What is more serious is that under the gasification program, over 3 million lei was invested in the development of the gas sector infrastructure at the expense of the citizens and the state budget. These facilities are not managed by the authorities. But when problems related to the gas debt appear, President Igor Dodon says the people’s and the state’s property will be pledged for these debts, but this property has nothing to do with “Moldovagaz”, noted the expert.
“No government, regardless of the political color, has the right to pay these debts that were invented by Dodon, of US$443 million, as long as no audit is performed to correctly and accurately determine the debts, in accordance with the accounting evidence. Otherwise, this is not payment of debts, but something else,” stated Tudor Șoitu.
