Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said the Cabinet of Ministers held a constructive meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on natural gas prices in Ukraine.
"Our government's position: the gas market in Ukraine must work. Unfortunately, some market players continue to abuse their position, which makes Ukrainians suffer. We must find a compromise that will protect people today and help the gas market develop in the future," he wrote on Telegram.
- Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to a number of rallies held in some regions, instructed the government to urgently address the issue of gas tariffs for households.
- A new gas price has been in effect in Ukraine since January 1, offered by gas suppliers as part of the competitive gas market launched in Ukraine for the households. In June 2020, the procedure for changing gas suppliers for household consumers was simplified as part of the implementation of structural beacons put forward by the International Monetary Fund to pursue the Stand-By Arrangement for Ukraine.
- Gas supplying companies offer to buy gas in January at a price from UAH 6.99 to UAH 10.8 per cubic meter, while the minimum price is 11% higher than that in December and the maximum price is 20.5% higher.
- In addition, new tariffs for gas transmission were introduced from January 1.
- The energy regulator NEURC has increased tariffs for the services of 43 gas distribution companies by an average of 1.6 times from January 2021.
- Since early January, rallies against the increase in utility tariffs have been held in a number of regions of Ukraine.