Financiarul

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) urges the Executive to halt the overhauling process in the energy field and to end the break up of social peace between the miners and energy producers based on coal, respectively hydro-energy and nuclear energy.

“On Saturday, the Executive, in the first electoral campaign day, initiated an overhauling process of the most important sector in the economic field, strictly connected to the national security.

The Government convened the administration councils and general assemblies of the shareholders from the companies in the energy field overseen by the Ministry of Economy to initiate the break up process, respectively of a merger between the energy producers in Romania (…)

The break up of social peace, with unprecedented conflicts in the field of justice, police, health care, education, till the animal breeders looked not sufficient, so that the caretaker government wants to introduce into this landscape a conflict between energy workers, respectively between the miners and energy producers”, underlined on Sunday, in a press conference, social democrat deputy Iulian Iancu.

He admitted that Romania needs a fundamental restructuring in the energy field, but drew attention that “in a shattered period a caretaker government cannot initiate such a measure”. “The energy system must be restructured, we must repair the mistake committed in 2000, but not during an electoral campaign, not with a deposed government, not through the back door and not on the eve of winter. We are in a special situation due to the bad management of the companies in the energy field”, said Iancu.

He underlined that the Executive has “sufficient” problems with the administration of the current issues in the energy field and drew attention upon the financial problems Hidroelectrica is facing – “which at present buys energy at three-fold higher prices than the regulated price” – , Electrocentrale Bucharest – “which has overdue payments of 1,500 billion old lei from the state budget afferent to the third quarters and which has no allocated money for thermal energy for Q4 this year”.

“Electrocentrale Bucharest had to take loans for which this year alone it pays due interest rates and rates at the level of 40 million euros”, said the Chairman of the Committee for Industries and Services with the Chamber of Deputies.
Iancu pointed out that PSD identified solutions for the reduction of the natural gas price, price reduction for electricity and thermal energy, but he added they cannot be implemented without an analysis of the fiscal code and without legislative modifications.