The heating season in Ukraine is under a threat to its stability right before its start, and the situation requires immediate and productive countermeasures by the Cabinet of Ministers. This was stated by OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin in his inquiry to Prime Minister Oleksii Honcharuk.

The politician has requested that the government takes immediate steps aimed at comprehensive solving of a number of issues, including fair gas price for population set under 3,800 – 4,000 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters and corresponding decrease in other utility fees through entering into a direct contract with Russia on gas import.

Lovochkin also demands that the last year’s government resolution on stricter subsidy eligibility rules must be revoked. It has resulted in a twofold drop in the number of subsidized families. The politician has also requested that subsidy expenses in state budget-2020 are increased by at least 10bln hryvnia, and the debts of local budgets over utilities rate differential are settled.

According to the politician, public heat generating providers might face unstable supplies of gas, mostly due to expected increase of the gas price for fall and winter season and unresolved problem of unsettled payments between Naftohaz and heating facilities. All of this might lead to a halt in gas supplies, which would in turn leave many homes in Ukraine unheated.

“At least some part of these acute problems could have been solved through state’s settlement of local budgets’ indebtedness that arose due to the utilities rate differential. This would allow them to settle the heating facilities’ debts for gas supplies. However, this subvention has not been provided for by the government in this year’s budget,” the inquiry reads.