HIGHER PRICES, LESS GAS: Harmful decisions by Džindić's ministry and Energoinvest are coming due

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - First, I want to thank the KS Government for adopting the decision to subsidize part of the gas sales price. As I am a gas user for heating purposes, this decision pleased me, said Almir Bečarević, an expert in the field of gas, who claims to have participated in most of the gas price calculations.

Bečarević, in a statement, explains "the extent of the madness into which the relevant Federal Ministry of Energy and Energoinvest have led us".

"Subsidizing 18.5 percent of the gas price means that the remaining 18.5 percent will be paid by citizens. The subsidy is not small, and that should be acknowledged, and with the one for the last two months of 2021, it will total approximately 11 million KM from the KS budget. The subsidy, adopted today, is for the first three months of 2022. When we know, and the relevant ministry and Energoinvest pretend not to know, the next gas price increase will be in April and, according to current derivative prices, will be between 10 and 15 percent. With the cessation of the subsidy for the first three months of 2022, THE GAS PRICE FROM APRIL WILL BE INCREASED BY A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 30% (this subsidized 18.5% and an additional approx. 11% for April), WHICH WILL TOTAL 50% (18.5% plus 18.5% and plus 11%) compared to the initial gas price of 485 KM. April is two and a half months away," Bečarević points out.

The heating price will now increase by about 10 percent, and from April by an additional 20 percent, and very likely, Bečarević adds, by another 20 percent.

"For the umpteenth time, I repeat, the gas price will be increased by a total of approx. 50% from April, and with a real price increase from June, it will go up to a possible 100% compared to the price of 485 KM. Incidentally, in Visoko, the gas price will be immediately increased by 38.5%, as well as in Istočno Sarajevo (no subsidies). All these gas price increases are accompanied by restrictions in the supply of natural gas to Sarajevogas, which means MORE EXPENSIVE GAS FOR LESS, and an additional cost for Toplane Sarajevo. At the same time, the gas pipeline through which gas is transported to Sarajevogas is almost half-empty, and much larger quantities can be transported. To summarize, by switching to TurkStream, a higher gas price has been secured, and now the citizens of Sarajevo are paying. Pay from the budget of the Sarajevo Canton, but, I repeat, the rise in gas prices cannot be stopped, with the note that the pricing formula on which Gazprom calculates its price will very likely be changed. All this was explained and written to the relevant ministry and Energoinvest back in March 2021, but they laughed. They laughed that there would be restrictions in gas supplies, and now TOPLANE ARE USING MAZUT. Where is that abundance of gas from TurkStream? Once again, thank you to the KS Government, but know this, the gas price will be increased by 50% from April compared to the BH-Gas price of 485 KM from last year, and which was before they took this company's job. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE CHEAPER AND AN ABUNDANCE OF GAS, NOW PAY AND USE MAZUT," Bečarević said in a press release.