UNIAN
The Cabinet of Ministers has proposed that the Verkhovna Rada allow the largest state energy holding Naftogaz Ukrainy to accept the property of companies in which the state owns more than a 25% share as payment for gas debts, according to a government bill registered in the parliament on February 28.
The exception to this rule, according to the document, is companies that have strategic importance to the economy and national security, as well as housing, education, health, social and cultural facilities.
As previously reported by UNIAN, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has suggested that the parliament, as part of the measures aimed at improving the financial state of Naftogaz Ukrainy, allow the forced collection of debts by the state company, as well as allow it to introduce limits on gas supplies to debtor companies, including heating utility companies.
On January 1, 2015 the overall debt of consumers to Naftogaz Ukrainy amounted to UAH 29.6 billion, of which the debt of industrial enterprises was more than UAN 11 billion, and the debt of heating supply companies UAH 16 billion.
Earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine made changes to the state budget for 2015 to slash subsidies from the budget for Naftogaz Ukrainy from UAH 31.5 billion down to UAH 29.7 billion – a cut of 5.8%. Thus, the threshold budget deficit of Naftogaz has been reduced. In 2014 it amounted to about UAH 110 billion.