“Stopping the growth of debts in the energy sector is the main task of the industry,” says MP and member of the parliamentary energy committee Andriy Zhupanyn. He noted that the scale of debts has reached a critical level, and solving the problem requires a comprehensive approach.
“The most important task is to stop the accumulation of debts, study and eliminate the causes of their occurrence,” he emphasized.
Zhupanin pointed out that, first of all, it is a question of prohibiting power supply disconnections for a number of consumers, information about which is very burdensome. This applies to both state and municipal enterprises, among which there are critical infrastructure facilities, for example, water utilities. The number of electricity consumers who are prohibited from disconnecting reaches more than 5,000, even in the absence of any payments from their side.
According to Zhupanyn, the debts of these enterprises to Ukrenergo have tripled over the past year - from 3 billion to 10 billion hryvnias.
“The problem became even more acute after the order of the Ministry of Energy dated April 13, 2022 No. 148, which gave the regional military administrations the right to independently determine enterprises in the relevant region that were prohibited from disconnecting from energy supply,” the deputy noted.
He noted that resolving this issue is important for creating an attractive energy market for investment, so it is necessary not only to stop the accumulation of debts, but also to develop an effective mechanism for their settlement.
