The Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, continued on Wednesday the accusations against the gas suppliers, reproaching them for abusing their dominant position in order not to reduce the price for the population, with the upcoming liberalization of the market, on July 1.

“Some suppliers abuse a dominant position and do not reduce their prices to the final consumer when they buy gas from producers on the market at a much lower price. Here I would like to draw attention to the fact that gas is currently traded through that gas release program somewhere at 30-30 and a few lei per MWh for summer and somewhere at 48-50 lei for the winter period until the end of the year. Compared to 68 lei, as it is now, it is a very big difference and I do not see any reaction from the two big gas suppliers, on the contrary, some slightly arrogant press statements of a gas supplier, which leaves me, I must admit, a bitter taste, a disappointment,” said the minister, quoted of Agerpres.

Popescu claimed that the situation will not remain like this. “Prices for the population should fall by at least 10-15% from the current level. That may not be on July 1, that it will be on 15, that it will be on August 1, but it will have to be (a reduction). I assure you and I assure all Romanians that we have the necessary levers at the level of the Government to do this if we notice that the dominant position in the market is still being abused. The Competition Council is ready, ANPC- is ready, the ANRE is ready, we, the ministry, are ready and we will intervene if necessary,” he added.

According to the INSCOP survey presented on Wednesday, only half of Romanians know that on July 1, the gas market will be liberalized.