Moldovan PM explains resignations in energy sector

Chisinau, 6 December /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Dorin Recean has explained the resignations of the three decision-makers from the energy sector. The PM said that there had not been a good coordination between the Energy Ministry, Energocom and Moldovagaz and this hindered the purchasing of reserves of natural gas at reasonable prices. At the same time, Recean appreciated the contribution of Victor Parlicov to Moldova’s integration into the European energy area, noting that the current head of Moldovagaz was to be replaced.   

„My goal is not to find a scapegoat. My goal, as government head, is for us to have a better management of the sector. There are three institutions in this field: the first is the Energy Ministry, the second one is Energocom and the third one is Moldovagaz. At the Energy Ministry, my expectation from Minister Parlicov and the task of Minister Parlicov, whom I fully trusted, I provided him support and I never thought that I should follow all details. So, the task of the Energy Ministry was to ensure the coordination of all institutions from the energy sector, so that we have the things in order, including having procurements at optimal prices. This thing, unfortunately, did not happen; there were diverse internal conflicts there and they dealt with these internal conflicts, instead of dealing with the energy sector,’’ Dorin Recean said at the Punctul pe AZi (Point on Today) programme, at the TVR Moldova station.      

„I appreciate very much what Victor Parlicov did. A thing which I want to mention very much is the implementation of the Third Energy Package. This thing is fundamental in the energy system of Moldova, this means our integration into the European area and this was managed well,’’ the PM noted.  

For his part, Victor Parlicov appreciated the attention paid by the authorities to the energy sector, through the creation of the Energy Ministry. ‘’The sector was given a weight and I want to thank because this is a political assuming. I want to thank the ruling party for the fact that it did this, that I was given the chance, the confidence to assert myself in the office of minister. I have managed to do great things in two years of mandate. My opinion is that the missing of the procurements is within the competence of Energocom,’’ Victor Parlicov said.   

The prime minister said the opportunity to purchase natural gas at reasonable prices had been repeatedly missed. ‘’In the last spring, when there was this opportunity to buy cheaper gas, the manager of Energocom hid behind bureaucratic trifles and this is unacceptable and so, I dismissed Victor Binzari too. Afterwards, there were also opportunities to purchase cheaper gas. After that, we had also Sergiu Tofilat, who blocked, got involved in this process and when the companies were able to buy cheaper, he nevertheless blocked these procurements,’’ Recean said.     

Sergiu Tofilat, member of the Council of Observers of the Moldovagaz stock company, came up with a reaction, after Dorin Recean, at a news conference, said that he had asked him to resign from office. ‘’I did not have powers to block the procurements of gas and he knows this very well. I asked Moldovagaz not to buy all volume for winter in one day; exactly this was one of the recommendations after the hearing in parliament. I will submit the application on resignation, but I will continue investigating the work of Moldovagaz and to inform the public opinion. The fight is not over,’’ Tofilat said.    

The PM reiterated a call to the civil society to provide an expert for the Administrative Board of the Moldovagaz stock company. ‘’Namely Sergiu Tofilat organized the contest and namely Sergiu Tofilat selected four people for the Moldovagaz Administrative Board. Vadim Ceban must be replaced by Dorin Junghietu; this is the proposal as a result of the contest organized at the insistence of Sergiu Tofilat,’’ Recean said.     

On 5 December, Prime Minister Dorin Recean asked for the resignation of Energy Minister Victor Parlicov, the director general of the Energocom enterprise, Victor Binzari and Sergiu Tofilat from the office of the Council of Observers of the Moldovagaz Company.