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New market prices for gas come into force for Ukraine's population

Thus, Kiev refused social preferential price

KIEV, May 1. /TASS/. The Ukrainian government has decided to increase tariffs for gar from May 1. From that day a single market price for gas for the population comes into force, which will total 6878 hryvnia ($275) per 1,000 cubic meters. Thus, Kiev refused social preferential price. Earlier, during the heating season, part of the population of Ukraine was able to pay for the consumption of up to 200 cubic meters per month 3,600 hryvnia (about $144) per 1,000 cubic meters of gas. When consuming large volumes of gas, price became the same for everybody - 7,200 hryvnia (about $288) per 1,000 cubic meters.

Ukrainian experts say that the new market price of gas is unfounded, since it does not correspond to the solvency of the population. "If we are talking about the reasonable price, you should not base it on the European level, but on the solvency of the population. If we have European prices, it means that we must have European salaries," energy expert Valentin Zemlyansky said.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman said, "the decision on market gas price satisfies the IMF".

The memorandum of cooperation with the IMF envisaged a gradual increase of utility tariffs to market levels in Ukraine. As representatives of the Ukrainian authorities stated repeatedly, the country cannot survive without cooperation with the Fund and its financial support. To continue cooperation with the IMF loan program, the Kiev authorities have to raise utility tariffs. Thus, the electricity tariff after all previous increases in 2017 should almost double. Tariffs for gas and heating are likely to grow at least 1.5-fold.