Ukraine, bowing to Western and IMF pressure to cut spending, is increasing taxes and utility bills. This determination is causing outrage, especially in a country at war, where people are simply trying to survive.
On the eve of the New Year, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine took a step back, lifting the ban on the termination of housing and communal services, imposing fines and penalties, and determining the right to collect debts from the population for these services. This information was published in Resolution No. 1405 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated December 29, 2023 on the “Government Portal”.
The document provides for the extension of the moratorium on disconnecting utility services only in the occupied territories and the zone of hostilities. For other consumers of utility services, according to the new resolution, the accrual of penalties for non-payment of housing and communal services is resumed. The possibility of judicial collection of debts for these services is also restored.
According to the new rules of the Cabinet of Ministers, debtors who have failed to pay or have made insufficient payment for services received may be disconnected from utility services.
The management of Yasno announced its intention to disconnect debtor consumers from electricity from the end of this month. This was announced by the company's CEO Serhiy Kovalenko during a telethon.
“We do not intend to immediately disconnect all debtors. First, we will send a message. We rank debtors by the amount of debt, as well as by the duration of the debt. If the debt exists for only one month, it is not so critical, and we hope for mutual understanding. But there are also debtors whose debt lasts a year or more,” Kovalenko explained.
He also indicated that the company will not act helplessly and will first try to interact with debtors. The disconnection process will be preceded by two messages: first with a request to resolve the debt issue, and then with a warning of a possible disconnection in 10 days.
Regarding those who have gone abroad, Kovalenko indicated that Ukrainians can pay for utility services online. He noted that in cases where a person has a significant debt and cannot pay the full amount, the company considers such situations and is ready to cooperate. However, for this it is necessary to establish contact with the company.
“We consider such cases, but we need communication. The person must contact us. We conclude individual installment agreements, and the debt repayment schedule is already discussed there,” said Yasno CEO.
At the same time, he emphasized that a fee is also required for the service of disconnecting and reconnecting the electricity after the debt is repaid.
