PM Groysman: Cabinet takes steps to prevent electricity price hikes

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said the Cabinet of Ministers has made all necessary decisions to prevent electricity price hikes from July 1, when the electricity market is set to be launched in Ukraine.

 "[Ukraine's] parliament in 2017 passed the draft law on the electricity market. The government is obliged to take all measures to launch the market on July 1. But, we cannot allow the growth in electricity prices for households and industry. The industry is our engine of growth. And we've taken all the necessary decisions to prevent price hikes for households and limit growth in prices for the industry. These are government decisions. An independent regulator [the National Energy and Utilities Regulation Commission/NEURC] of Ukraine must make its decisions and finally back what the government has approved. Then there will be no price hikes," the Cabinet's press service quoted Groysman as saying on Vinnytsa TV channel "Vita" on June 10.

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As UNIAN reported earlier, on June 5, the Cabinet of Ministers placed special obligations, related to the electricity supplies for households from July 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020, on state-owned energy generating companies, namely Energoatom, Ukrhydroenergo, Ukrenergo, as well distribution system operators.

According to Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk, the decision will make it impossible to raise electricity prices for households in the country's new electricity market.