Govt asked to determine list of critical consumers for non-disconnection from power, conditions to provide them with resource - Advisor to PM
In order to improve payments for electricity by industrial consumers, it is important for the government to determine the list of critical consumers and the conditions for providing them with the resources, among which there may be restrictions on the free disposal of funds, says the advisor to the prime minister of Ukraine, member of the supervisory board of Ukrenergo Yuriy Boiko.
“Today, there is a finalized initiative that aims to significantly improve the situation on the balancing market... Together with the head of Ukrenergo, we have already presented it to the prime minister and received a preliminary positive reaction. I expect that we will return to discussing it in the near future with the involvement of the Ministry of Energy and key market participants. If this discussion session is successful, which I sincerely hope, during March-April we will receive a government decision on determining the list of critical consumers and the procedure for providing such consumers with resources," Boiko said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
He expressed opinion that local governments should not create lists of consumers who cannot be disconnected from electricity for non-payment, and the list of so-called critical consumers should not be large.
“If we objectively approach the definition of critical consumers, then these are water supply enterprises, heat supply enterprises and, possibly, state mines, in terms of ensuring their environmentally safe operation. I assume that this list may expand somewhat, but the main idea is that it should be limited, the logic of its formation was as clear, transparent and justified as possible,” explained the official.
He noted that, according to the initiative’s developers, the number of consumers who can qualify for critical status is from 60 to 200.
At the same time, Boiko is convinced that the provision of certain preferences to critical consumers in the form of guaranteed electricity supply must be balanced by certain obligations, the main one of which should be a restriction on the free disposal of funds received into the accounts of such consumers.
