Minister Popescu: “Romanians don’t have to worry” about energy tariffs

Recently, Germany approved a special plan to save energy and to combat the increase in energy costs.

Also, France is preparing a plan of drastic measures to save energy, by which it could even prohibit the playing of matches at night, “from this winter”. President Emmanuel Macron warned the French about the “big change” that will come with the autumn, through “the end of abundance”, “of records” and “of carelessness”.

And Russia warned that “it will be a hard winter for Europeans“.

On the other hand, in Romania, the Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu, declared in a television show that “Romanians don’t have to worry” regarding the energy tariffs this winter, if they fall within the consumption limits provided by the law that provides caps and compensations.

He claims that he doesn’t understand the “panic” in the marketemphasizing that it is about “an optimization” of the legislation, given that there are traders on the energy market who make very large profits that are not taxed. “If it were up to me, I would take all this difference from them. This speculative gain. Let them have a gain that is normal. (…) That’s probably what we’re going to do”Popescu shows.

“We have in force an ordinance that is promulgated, approved by the Parliament, which has a ceiling of 80 money for electricity for the consumption of up to 300 kilowatts and 68 money for the social tariff for the consumption of up to 100 kilowatts. Romanians do not have to worry if they fall within these consumption limits, and I can tell you with all certainty that, based on the calculations we have from the regulatory authority, over 80% of Romanians fall within these consumption classes“, said Virgil Popescu, on Wednesday evening, at Digi 24, according to News.ro.

He added that “Romanians will pay 31 pennies per kilowatt or 13 lei per megawatt“, and companies that consume up to 50,000 megawatts per year will pay 37 money per megawatt.

“We have an ordinance. I don’t see why so much panic was created in the market, because we have an ordinance in force, the Government approved it, the coalition approved it, the leaders of the coalition said very clearly that it has been consumed, it will be paid. We are talking about optimization. It is not normal for some to win a lot and others to lose and the budget to lose. That is why we are discussing an optimization of this scheme and the taxation of the sales chain“, explained the Minister of Energy.

He believes that “the trader should only make a profit of a few percent“, showing that the profit received by energy market traders is “undeserved”.

“I tell you very honestly: if it were up to me – but I don’t do fiscal policy – I would take this difference in money from them, because it is an undeserved profit and we all have to contribute to pass this crisis which is a complicated winter. (…) I would recommend everyone to be calm, because any alarm in the market will create a panic in the market and lead to the rise of these prices“, added Virgil Popescu.

Who are the “smart guys” in energy?

Asked if the traders are the so-called “smart guys” in energy, the minister replied: “The smart guys are the guys who know how to speculate in troubled areas.”

“If you’re allowed by the state to do this, it means there’s a problem in that state. We don’t want to let this happen again and… what they’re doing, you know, is legal, it’s not illegal. But it is also legal for the state to protect itself and impose certain additional taxes. (…) If it were up to me, I would take all this difference from them. This speculative gain. Let them have a gain that is normal. (…) That’s probably what we’re going to do,” said Popescu.

Asked if there is consensus in the coalition on this subject, Popescu declared himself “convinced” that it exists.

He also said that the authorities must find a solution regarding the voluntary reduction of consumption, as is being tried at the European level.

Ciucă: There is no gloomy scenario regarding energy security for Romania

Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă declared, on Wednesday, that the Romanian authorities do not take into account any “dismal scenario” regarding the provision of gas and electricity for the next cold season.

He declared, in Suceava, that Romania can provide most of its energy needs from internal sources.

“As the data shows at the moment, there is no gloomy scenario, because Romania is a country that benefits from natural gas sources and also has its own electricity production capacities. I will give you figures: the year last time we had a consumption of 58 terras, 56 were produced by our own capacities, the other quantity was imported. In any case, about two terras were imported. I don’t think that this difference between production and import can generate a scenario gloomy that leads us to believe that we will not be able to provide the necessary energy and gases“, said Ciucă, according to Agerpres.

He emphasized that the only concern of the Government is related to “the evolution of the price on the energy market” and the need to “identify the necessary instruments”, so as to ensure the maintenance of the price at a level “that we can afford”.

Macron warned the French about the “end of abundance” and “lack of care”

French President Emmanuel Macron warned the French on Wednesday about the “great change” that will come with autumn, through the “end of abundance”, “records” and “lack of worries”, reports AFP, according to Agerpres.

“We are living a great change”warned the head of state, returning to a recent “series of serious crises”, from Ukraine to drought, as a preamble to the council of ministers after the vacation in Paris.

“The moment we are living can be structured by a series of serious crises (…) and some may see our destiny as one in which we must constantly manage crises or emergency situations. As far as I’m concerned, I think what we’re about to experience is more of a big change or a big upheaval“, declared Emmanuel Macron in an address to his ministers, transmitted live in an exceptional way.

Because, in the face of this situation, “our compatriots could react with great anxiety”, he asked the members of the government “to call things by their names”, “to call them clearly and without a catastrophic approach”.

“I expect the government to respect the word given and the commitments we made to the nation”, he added.

“What I wish we could do in the coming weeks and months is to reaffirm a very strong unity of the government, of the forces of the majority” around “a direction that will allow us to consolidate our sovereignty, our French and European independence“, he added.