Lipetsk hosted today a meeting moderated by Valery Golubev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee with heads of regional gas marketing companies and representatives from administrations of the Russian Federation constituents located in the Southern Federal Okrug.

The meeting addressed the experience gained by the best regional gas companies as reliable gas suppliers and the Russian regions as prompt payers for the gas consumed. In particular, the meeting discussed the issues of arranging the interaction of gas suppliers and administrations of the Lipetsk Oblast and the Republic of Bashkortostan that had resulted in 100 per cent gas payment by the population and the utility service companies.

The meeting participants noted that during 9 months of 2009 the level of gas payment by Russia’s population had averaged 96 per cent, while in Northern Caucasian republics it hadn’t exceeded 53 per cent. Moreover, these republics account for 97 per cent of Russia’s total consumer debt that had arisen as a result of the misbalance mainly caused by unauthorized gas offtake and utilization of uncertified and self-made equipment by consumers.

Inter alia, the problem of the population debt may be settled through deployment of information and computing centers with participation of regional gas marketing companies and regional authorities. This will help eliminate the human factor from the gas payments collection system and move over to up-to-date electronic payment calculation systems.

“The problems related to a low level of gas payments by the population, redemption of the accumulated debt and misbalance may be settled. In particular, it is possible when regional authorities are seeking for efficient cooperation in this field. I am sure that today’s meeting will help improve the payment situation in the Southern Federal Okrug,” stated Valery Golubev.

Background:

The amount of the gas debt in the Southern Federal Okrug as of October 1, 2009 totaled RUB 35.6 billion (including the overdue amount of RUB 31.7 billion). The debt of the household consumers equals RUB 21.7 billion, the industrial consumers – RUB 11.2 billion, the utility service companies – RUB 2.5 billion and the budgetary organizations – RUB 0.2 billion.

In addition to these amounts, the debt that has arisen from misbalance is estimated at RUB 17.4 billion.

The lowest payment level is observed in the Republic of Ingushetia – 60 per cent, the Chechen Republic – 35 per cent, the Republic of Dagestan – 34 per cent and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania – 77 per cent. Meanwhile, compensation for the expenses related to providing the social support to certain population categories in the Republic of Ingushetia, in particular, makes up 100 per cent.

The lowest payment level among the utility service companies is observed in the Southern Federal Okrug, as well: the Republic of Dagestan – 54 per cent, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania – 54 per cent, the Volgograd Oblast – 83 per cent. The utility service companies in the Chechen Republic mostly do not pay (the payment level is 0.5 per cent).

The situation has improved with the budgetary organizations in the Rostov Oblast (99 per cent), the Volgograd Oblast (98 per cent), the Krasnodar Krai (99 per cent), the Stavropol Krai (98 per cent), the Republic of Adygeya (100 per cent), Dagestan (100 per cent) and Kabardino-Balkaria (99 per cent).