The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) office in Ukraine, Josta Lyngman, urged Kiev not to return to control over gas prices.
Ukrainians protesting against tariffs – “housing and communal services tariffs are a robbery”
“There is and will continue to be a significant part of the Ukrainian population that cannot cover the costs of gas, heat, hot water and electricity. The most effective way to support these households is to identify them and provide them with financial support through the budget so that they can pay their own utility bills”, – said the IMF official.
In his opinion, a return to control of prices for blue fuel may lead to the abuse of resources due to corruption and restraint in the implementation of energy efficiency. He also noted that Ukraine is using “outdated electricity generation infrastructure”, which requires serious modernization.
Since the new year, the gas price for Ukrainians has increased by 14% and reached 7.2 hryvnia (19 rubles) per cubic meter. The delivery of gas has also risen in price, which is paid separately in Ukraine: the total cost has reached 10-11 hryvnia (about 26-29 rubles). At the same time, other utilities have risen in price, which caused a wave of protests in many cities of Ukraine. Residents of the country called the actions of the authorities “tariff genocide” against citizens.