The price of gas in Ukraine decreased by 6-7%. Citizens will feel this in bills for June. It was stated during a briefing by Andriy Gerus, Representative of the President in the Cabinet of Ministers.
"At present, there are quite favorable conditions in the gas market. The cost has fallen, and there is an opportunity to make appropriate decisions. The President sets the task to look for ways to reduce tariffs, so that such decisions are made as soon as appropriate opportunities emerge. It is also worth noting that such a decrease in gas prices does not contradict the agreements with the International Monetary Fund," he explained.
Andriy Gerus emphasizes that the gas price issue is important for society, therefore the team of the President of Ukraine will monitor the situation on this issue.
"We are looking for ways how the President can help resolve tariff issues within his competence or at the political level. And now one of the issues is to help NJSC Naftogaz buy as much fuel as possible for the underground storage facilities, so that we would have more cheap gas for the future and could live through the winter without problems even in the situation if its transit through Ukraine is stopped," the Representative of the President in the Cabinet of Ministers noted.
He also commented on the decision of the Constitutional Court on the unconstitutionality of a number of articles of the Law of Ukraine on the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities. Andriy Gerus noted that some provisions of the decision would come into force on December 31, 2019.
According to the Representative of the President in the Cabinet of Ministers, in order to resolve the situation, a new law on the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities must be adopted, as well as amendments to the Constitution must be made in order to provide for the existence of regulators with a special status.
"The decision of the Constitutional Court states that the procedure for the creation of a commission (by the President's decree - ed.) and the appointment of its members does not conform to the Constitution. In our opinion, it is necessary to adopt a new law on the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities, which will provide some other procedures for the appointment. Amendments should also be made to the Constitution in order to provide for the existence of various regulators, as well as some anticorruption bodies," he said, adding that it goes about regulators with special status that would not be a part of the executive bodies.
Andriy Gerus also stressed that it is not essential for the Presidential Administration of Volodymyr Zelenskyy to influence the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities through appointments. However, the President's team, just as society, supports the renewal of the commission.