Naftogaz urged local authorities to increase payments to the company

Oleksiy Chernyshov, the head of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine NJSC, called on local authorities to increase payments and debt restructuring process for Naftogaz.

According to Chernyshov, during this heating season, heat producers paid only 41% of the cost of gas used. Oleksiy Chernyshov said this at the board meeting of the Association of Ukrainian Cities (AUC).

"In spite of the difficult winter season, gas supply remained uninterrupted despite outstanding debts and shelling. Naftogaz fulfilled its responsibility to ensure a continuous supply of gas. However, it is important to acknowledge the existing issues and address them honestly. Today, the level of payments from household consumers who purchase gas directly from Naftogaz is about 80%. Meanwhile, the situation is much worse for heating companies," Oleksiy Chernyshov explained.

Heat producers are twice as bad when it comes to paying for the gas they receive compared to the general population.

"We understand that the state provides compensation for the difference in tariffs for district heating companies (DHCs), but the funding for 2022 is unavailable and there is no corresponding subvention in the state budget for 2023. We know that the government is addressing this issue. However, even if we don't talk about this part of the funds, there is still significant debt that DHCs are solely responsible for. It is essential that they at least pay it off to ensure a smooth next heating season," added the Naftogaz Group CEO.

Chernyshov emphasized that the company is taking all possible steps to increase production and ensure Ukraine's energy independence, which requires significant investments.

He also added that heat producers have significant debts to Naftogaz Group not only for this winter, but also for past seasons, and called for their restructuring.