The Ukrainian government will not prevent independent gas imports by industrial enterprises, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said at an expanded government session.
He said Naftogaz Ukrainy, in accordance with existing legislation and European norms, is ready to provide transport capacity for such gas supplies to enterprises.
Naftogaz Ukrainy chief Andriy Kobolev confirmed such readiness, but noted that at present, the transport capacity which is used to import gas from Hungary is underutilized.
Head of Donetsk Regional State Administration Serhiy Taruta, who raised the issue during a meeting of the Cabinet, in comments to journalists noted that industrial enterprises intend to hold talks on the possibility of acquiring gas from Central Asia and Russia.
‘I talked with industrial enterprises in Mariupol. They consume a lot of gas, they asked to solve the question about the possibility of independent procurement and we must provide them with this…i.e. sign contracts with Russia, then sign a contract on transit with Naftogaz, then – with regional and city gas companies. Thus, industrialists solve their problem on their own,’ he said.
‘Most likely, there is the possibility to agree independently. The most efficient production program should be determined for each enterprise. What is profitable for it: either to stop production, or decrease, or buy at a higher price, but at the same time have a higher efficiency at the expense of using 100 percent of its capacity,’ Taruta said.
