The City Hall Mayor of the Capital, Nicuşor Dan, said on Monday that the one billion lei debt that Termoenergetica registers with ELCEN is not a “money” problem, but an administrative one, related to the subsidy PMB is paying, noting that the debt will be paid based on a new opinion from the Competition Council and a decision by the General Council, according to Agerpres. He also said that around 50 km of the main heating pipeline will be completed this year, noting that this is possible given the conditions in which the pipeline suppliers’ market has stabilized.

“It’s not a money problem, it’s an administrative problem, related to the subsidy that the City Hall pays. It’s a Council decision from the moment Termoenergetica was established and that provides for the subsidy that Termoenergetica will pay in the next 10 years. This decision has the approval to the Competition Council and to change it, a new opinion of the Competition Council is needed, to change the amounts of money that are provided as a subsidy for each of these 10 years. This is the procedural step we are in today,” said Nicuşor Dan.

He recalled that the Capital City Hall borrowed 500 million lei at the end of last year.

“We could not pay for what was taken, that is, for those tariff differences of approximately 600 million lei. Instead, we paid all the invoices and, in addition, we were in advance with the invoices, as much as allowed the delegation contract. So, unlike in the past years, when we delayed payments on bills, on winter bills and recovered them in the summer periods, now we have paid all bills in advance and in the summer period, when the bills are very small. We will be able to pay, after the opinion of the Competition Council comes and we have a decision of the General Council, we will be able to pay that debt,” explained the mayor.