The price of gas for household consumers should fall by 10-15% from July 1, when the market will be completely liberalized, otherwise the government will use anti-competitive legislation to intervene, the Minister of Economy, Energy and Environment Business, Virgil Popescu, said on Wednesday.

He explained that, from July 1, 2020, the price of gas for the population will no longer be set by the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), but will be formed freely.

“Obviously we have to be careful that suppliers do not take advantage of this initial situation of liberalization and we will make sure from this point of view. From this month the producers will be forced to enter a gas release program, to put packages of sale at one month, three months, six months and one year at the starting price of the Vienna Stock Exchange, which is currently almost three times lower than the current price at which suppliers buy, so practically we are convinced that there will be a price drop, at least in July, August, including in winter, the price will be lower than the suppliers currently buying on the market and we will make sure that this price drop will also be found in the invoices of the domestic customers,” the government official said, according to Agerpres.

Popescu stressed that if the two big suppliers, Engie and E.ON, which have 90% of the market, will not lower prices for the population, the authorities will intervene to make this happen.

“We will intervene by Emergency Ordinance in the Government, on the Competition Law, and we will make sure that the price reduction at the producer is also found at the final buyer. I expect there to be discounts of 10-15% in the market and there are suppliers that offer this cut already. Some, even smaller, (offer a discount) of even of 20%, because they do not want to lose their customers. Or, among the big ones, it already seems to me that it is an anti-competitive agreement, they have 90% of the market and do not make any move to reduce the price at end customers,” the minister said.