No increase for electricity fees
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, December 6
Georgia’s Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze says electricity fees will not be increased for the Georgian people from next year.
The statement came after the Government’s announcement about planned growth on energy products from January 1 2017.
The Government-elaborated plan reads that from next year, excise tax on tobacco, imported cars and oil products will all increase.
The increase for the oil products meant 23 Tetri increase on fuel, 25 Tetri increase on diesel and 12 Tetri increase on gas.
“Based on our calculations in the Ministry of Energy, neither electricity nor gas fees will increase from the next year. However, I want to highlight that the increase in prices in this field is the prerogative of Georgian National Energy and Water Regulatory Commission,” Kaladze said.
Kaladze also dismissed a statement made by former head of the Commission, Guram Chalagashvili, that if fees on electricity and gas will not be increased, Georgians would receive gas and electricity during certain periods of time and not for 24 hours.
Kaladze said Chalagashvili was a former member of the United National Movement opposition party and his “false statements” were “speculations”.
The United National Movement claims it was the Government’s misguided economic policy and “unclear and absurd” economic plan for the next year which caused the hard economic crisis in the country and the dramatic devaluation of the national currency against the US Dollar.
The opposition claims the Government lies when it states that increased excise tax and the national currency's devaluation will not have an influence on gas and electricity tariffs.
The opposition states that when prices on oil products increases, it automatically triggers growing prices on almost all products in the country.
