The Regulatory Office for Network Industries (ÚRSO) has dismissed another proposal by gas utility Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP) to increase gas prices for households and heat producers. The proposals were not approved by the company's stockholders, explained spokesman for the authority Miroslav Lupták. Moreover, he said, the proposals were inadequate from a factual point of view.
“SPP did not submit a price proposal approved by a meeting of its stockholders. It was apparent that the suggestions did not fulfil legal conditions for price-setting proceedings, and as such had to be rejected”, Lupták argued, as quoted by the SITA newswire. He added that the authority responsibly examined their factual aspects. According to Lupták, after the body had gone through the material and compared it with its own analyses and calculations, it concluded that the proposed prices were unreasonably high, groundless and therefore unacceptable from a factual point of view.
Thus, ÚRSO will set 2011 gas prices for households and heat producers itself. “We will do our utmost so that the new gas prices take effect as of January 1, 2011,” Lupták said.
SPP has made several unsuccessful attempts to change gas prices for households and heat producers this year. Its previous initiative came in late October, asking the regulator to hike gas prices for households by 13.4 percent next year and prices for heat producers by 14 percent. Gas prices for households in Slovakia last changed at the beginning of this year, when they fell by 5.13 percent on average.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
25. Nov 2010 at 14:00
