2023-11-14 14:27:00
The electricity and gas suppliers were concerned that the Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja, is interfering in the work of ANRE, which should be an independent institution, and, moreover, announced that the regulator would issue unprecedented fines in the sector . The president of ANRE, George Niculescu, says that the institution he leads is carrying out controls in the entire sector, but he cannot yet talk regarding fines because the investigations have not been completed. According to HotNews.ro information, although the price of gas has fallen below the ceiling set by the state, some suppliers continue to bill at the ceiling price. The problem is that the law does not provide for any penalty in this case.
Natural gasesPhoto: Artur Widak/NurPhoto / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
“We are very concerned regarding the independence of ANRE. I think everyone has seen that at the ministry level, in an excess of zeal, some announcements appeared regarding the results of the checks that are in progress at ANRE. It was a bank: someone calls to say condolences and is told that the plane has not yet taken off. Something similar is also here”, said Laurențiu Urluescu, the president of the Romanian Energy Suppliers Association (AFEER), in a conference organized by DC News.
For his part, the president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority, George Niculescu, stated that he cannot talk regarding fines at this time.
“As long as we have ongoing investigations and control actions we cannot discuss fines. At the moment the regulatory authority is carrying out 194 control actions in both the electricity and natural gas sectors. If, upon completion of the control actions, there are situations of interest to public opinion, we will make public the results of these actions”, said Niculescu.
On October 16, the Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja, stated that there are signals that some gas suppliers are artificially keeping the price high.
“We will submit a notification to ANRE. From the signals we have, there is an incorrect approach on the part of some suppliers. ANRE will investigate these cases and may impose substantial fines, from the turnover, if a lack of fair play or violation of the law”, said the Minister of Energy.
Yesterday, when asked by journalists, Burduja continued the topic:
“They are in control actions. The National Regulatory Authority in the field of Energy has several open chapters, with several suppliers and, from the information I have and which will be public, I think, in the next period, there is an unprecedented level of sanctions, but this is a subject that ANRE will clarify”, he mentioned.
Asked what were the irregularities discovered at the gas suppliers, the minister did not provide more details.
“You will find out from ANRE. I cannot speak on behalf of ANRE, but what I requested from ANRE management – and they are our colleagues, I am sure they belong to Parliament, not to the Ministry of Energy, is to be relentless”.
According to HotNews.ro information, the price of gas has dropped a lot recently and is now below the ceiling set by the state for bills paid by the population, but some suppliers continue to bill at the ceiling price.
This although the Emergency Ordinance 27/2022, by which the final gas prices paid by the population are capped, provides for a price calculation formula, but also the fact that, if the price resulting from this formula is lower than the ceiling, people will pay the price lowest.
The problem is that the legislation does not provide any penalty for violating this provision.
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