IMF calls for liberalization of natural gas price

The representatives of the International Monetary Fund proposed the liberalization of the natural gas price, except domestic consumers, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, social care facilities and public institutions.

The proposal was made at the meeting held on Tuesday with the leadership of the Ministry of Economy, the institution announced in a communiqué.

‘They are requesting the verification of prices. Prices should be liberalized and during this year we should introduce a new estimation formula, because there are some issues’, the Minister of Economy Ion Ariton declared after the two hours discussion with the IMF representatives.

He added that the liberalization of the regulated prices does not necessarily mean the increase of the prices paid by the population.

The representatives in the Ministry of Economy reported that there is no such discussion on this subject in the government at the present time.

In the coming months, the National Agency of Regulations in Energy will consider the impact of price liberalization proposed by the IMF and will communicate the results to the government.

In Romania, prices for public electricity for the population and prices for gas production are set by the National Energy Regulator.


Translated by: Manuela Stancu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University