The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has extended public service obligations (PSO) to sell natural gas for the needs of households and municipal heat supply companies at the lower price until late September 2018.

The decision was made at a government meeting on August 29.

"Negotiations with the IMF on bringing the price of natural gas to the level of import parity are continuing, therefore, considering the completion of the term of the provisions on [PSO], there is a need for its extension," the government said in an explanatory note to the resolution.

Ukraine in the framework of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund pledged to abandon the PSO and move to market prices, but in the summer and autumn of 2017 refused to meet the obligation. At present, the issue of gas prices for households is the key to the resumption of financing from the IMF, with which the government has so far had inconclusive discussions.