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Ukrainians to Pay More for Natural Gas
The Ukrainian national commission on electricity regulation has raised the prices local consumers will pay for natural gas. The average price hike is 13 percent, and the new prices will go into effect in September. The price of gas in Ukraine depends on the number of consumers. More consumers mean higher prices. Under the new pricing, Ukrainians will pay between 35.82 and 132.6 local kopecks per 1000 cu. m. (That is, 1.80-6.70 Russian rubles.)
The fees for the transport and delivery of natural gas through distribution networks were raised at the same time. They will rise 26.7 and 46.8 percent, respectively. The price hikes came immediately after Ukrainian gas workers began a strike. They are demanding higher fees in order to receive higher wages.
At the end of last month, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko criticized the Yulia Tymoshenko government for what he considered excessively low gas prices to the public. He noted that it is economically ineffective to sell fuels more cheaply in Ukraine than the cost of importing them from Russia.
www.kommersant.com
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