The company’s director general, Iurie Rozlovan, holds the former authorities responsible for the debts, accusing them of politicized decisions and late adoption of economically justified tariffs.
“Where did the historical debts come from? There were many governments that were guided more by political interests than economic ones,” Rozlovan told reporters.
Termoelectrica currently owes 1.3 billion lei to state-owned Energocom. This debt was transferred from Moldovagaz, the fuel supplier for Termoelectrica. A 15-year debt restructuring agreement was signed – payments have already started.
The other debt – directly to Moldovagaz – amounts to 660 million lei. The payment schedule has not been approved yet. Negotiations with all partners are underway. It was proposed to conclude a similar 15-year agreement. “Unfortunately, we have not reached a consensus, but we remain optimistic,” Rozlovan said.
There are also debt obligations associated with the projects that have been implemented – in particular, a $45 million loan from the World Bank. In addition, another WB-supported project worth $92 million is underway.
The company has not accumulated any new debts, and there are no wage arrears.
At the moment the World Bank is conducting a financial study of the general condition of the company in order to assess the possibility of attracting investments for modernization of the main heat and power plant. The preliminary required amount is estimated at $341 million.
“We need to understand where to get this money from, how to modernize the main plant so that in a relatively short period – 10 years – we get new generation capacity and secure the future of the enterprise,” the director said.
Speaking about the beginning of the heating season, he noted that such a notion is outdated.
“The heat carrier is in the networks both in summer and winter. In summer we use it to supply hot water, and in winter the same mains supply our consumers with heat. Therefore, we believe that it is up to the consumer to decide when to connect. There is no need for a certain date when someone says that it is necessary to start the season”.
Nevertheless, the Chisinau City Hall still issues a decree according to which the institutions officially start the heating season. However, according to Rozlovan, this will become obsolete in the future – each institution, be it a hospital or a kindergarten, will be able to determine the moment of connection independently.
As of Friday morning, October 10, in Chisinau were connected: out of 145 kindergartens – 131; out of 164 schools and lyceums – 38; out of 77 medical institutions – 18; out of 2827 residential buildings – 102, as well as 84 economic entities.
