The FINANCIAL — The Cabinet of Ministers recommends the National Electricity Regulation Commission to bring the natural gas rates for the population to the economically founded level from October 1, 2009.
Ukrainian News learned this from a plan of measures for 2009 to stabilize the financial conditions of the Naftohaz Ukrainy national oil and gas company, which is endorsed by governmental resolution No.795 dated June 10.
According to the governmental resolution, the natural gas rates for the population must include investment element for boosting gas extraction in Ukraine.
Analogous recommendations have been sent out to the Fuel and Energy Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and Naftohaz Ukrainy.
The Cabinet of Ministers has ordered a plan of measures for gradual shift to the economically founded gas rates for all categories of consumers to be drafted in July and August.
The Fuel and Energy Ministry and the Finance Ministry have been instructed to draw up proposals in July and August concerning Naftohaz Ukrainy's raising loans under government security for investment projects on development of Subbotin oil field on the shelf of the Black Sea, development of the Odesa gas field and Bezymiannyi gas field, provision of natural gas to the underground gas storage facilities.
The Cabinet of Ministers has also instructed the State Tax Administration and the Finance Ministry to provide the Naftohaz Ukrainy national oil and gas company and its subsidiaries Ukrhazvudobuvannia, Ukrtranshaz, Haz Ukrainy, and the state joint stock company "Chornomornaftohaz" with a 60-month delay on the payment of tax liabilities emerging in 2009 on the terms of tax credit.
Further, the Cabinet of Ministers has instructed the Fuel and Energy Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the State Customs Service, the State Tax Administration, and the Naftohaz Ukrainy national oil and gas company in July and August to draft and submit to the government draft laws amending the law on the 2009 national budget to write off fines for the violation of the tax legislation, the customs legislation, the forex legislation against the Naftohaz Ukrainy national oil and gas company, its subsidiaries, and the Chornomornaftohaz state joint stock company.
The government has given the Fuel and Energy Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the State Property Fund, and Naftohaz Ukrainy time until September 2009 to draft and submit to the government a draft act on amendments to the financial plans of Ukrhazvydobuvannia and Ukrtranshaz for 2009 to improve the financial conditions of the two companies.
The draft document should concern increase in the statutory fund of the two companies.
The government also instructed the Fuel and Energy Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and the Naftohaz Ukrainy national company to draft acts in July and August introducing a zero rate for extracting enterprises of Naftohaz Ukrainy of rent on natural gas and gas condensate produced in Ukraine.
The Fuel and Energy Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and the national oil and gas company have been instructed to draft acts in July and August to set zero rent for gas transportation enterprises of Naftohaz Ukrainy on transit of natural gas.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Cabinet of Ministers has committed in a memo with the International Monetary Fund to have natural gas rates for the population and municipal heating companies increased by the end of 2009 and introduce quarterly correction of the natural gas rates for the said categories from 2010.
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